Freschetta Simply Inspired Pizza Review and Giveaway!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of FRESCHETTA® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I was recently given the chance to try out the new FRESCHETTA® Simply…Inspired™ pizzas and since my family loves a good pizza I jumped at the chance to review one. I first want to state that we have never tried any of the Freschetta products before so this was a new taste-testing experience for us.

The Freschetta Simply Inspired Pizzas feature larger cuts of fresh-tasting vegetables, thin light cripsy crust, real cheeses and signature sauces that will make your mouth water for more! They are packaged using their new Fresch-Taste Seal package which locks in the vibrant flavors, while using 30% less packaging material. Freschetta Simply Inspired Pizzas come in 8 delicious flavors/varieties so there a flavor for just about any pizza lover out there.

• Hawaiian Style


• Harvest Supreme


• Classic Bruschetta


• Chicken Bianco


• Farmers Market Veggie


• Rustic Pepperoni Pomodoro


• Southern BBQ Recipe Chicken


• Tuscan Farmhouse

The Review: My family and I received a coupon to pick up a free Freschetta Simply Inpsired pizza at our local store and my hubby selected the Hawaiian Style for us to try out for all of you. We also received a squared shaped bamboo cutting board. Once he returned we read the easy to follow directions and placed our pizza into the oven for baking...as it baked you chould just smell deliciousness! Once it was done we removed it from the oven and he cut it into slices for us. He commented right away about the crust being nice and thin and cripsy which is how he likes his pizza. He also commented about how large the Canadian Bacon and Pineapple pieces were. They were nice and big like toppings on a pizza should be! As we ate our pizza we were both pleasantly surprised at how crisp, juicy and flavorful everything was. We gave the pizza a big 2 thumbs up!

Giveaway: The great folks at Freschetta are sponsoring a giveaway here on our blog! One lucky winner will win a coupon for a Freschetta Simply Inspired Pizza and a round bamboo cutting board! This giveaway will end on May 4th, 2011 and is open to US ONLY!

Mandatory Entry: Please visit Freschetta and come back here and tell me which of the 8 flavors you would like to try out.

Bonus Earns 2 Entries: Follow Freschetta over on Facebook! They are also hosting weekly giveaways with some awesome prizes for their facebook followers!

Bonus Earns 2 Entries: Follow Freschetta over on Twitter!

What a fabulous fresh-tasting pizza that you can buy, make and enjoy at home! My family loved it and we are looking forward to trying out some additional flavors in the near future.

Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. The Shakin N Bakin Blog is not responsible for delivery of any giveaway items won from this blog. We are not responsible for injury or mis-use of any products won from the Shakin N Bakin Blog. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering our giveaways. Thanks!

BrytonPick Reusable Floss ~ Product Review

Today I get to talk to all of you about a product called the BrytonPick which is a discreet, on-the-go and reusable way to floss your teeth. The BrytonPick offers a quick solution when there is no time or place to floss your teeth. It can reduce plaque and bacteria build-up and prevents bad breath.

The product is designed to clean between all of your teeth after every meal that you eat. It is convenient and portable and comes in a credit card sized carry pouch. The BrytonPick is reusable for 30 days and is made from germ resistant stainless steel. It is ultra-flexible and is as thin as dental floss. You can toss the case in your purse, briefcase, backpack or carry it in your pocket.

How to use it: For the first time using it they recommend that you use it after eating and while standing in front of a mirror. Keep your mouth open to avoid the cleaning edges from contacting your lips. It can be used by brace wearers too! Gently insert either end between teeth. Once done...clean it with a napkin or with hot water.

My Review: I have always been a big time flosser and usually floss my teeth twice a day. When the product arrived it looked a little strange to me but I wanted to give it a try. I read the enclosed pamphlet and then after lunch I went into our bathroom to give it a try. I stood in front of the mirror like suggested and used it on my front teeth first and then my side/back teeth. It literally only took me a minute. It didn't cut me, irritate my gums or anything and was really easy to use. I continued to use it twice a day for a week and I have to admit, I like it better than waxy dental flosses and I plan on purchasing more from my local store. I love how they do such a great job at removing food particles from between my teeth.

Purchasing Info: You can purchase BrytonPicks at Meijer, Drug Fair, Kinney Drugs, A&P, PathMark, Superfresh, Drugstore.com, Amazon.com, CVS.com, Walgreens.com and from several other retailers.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com created by WebBizIdeas a Minneapolis SEO and Web Design firm. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Product Review ~ Bite Me Cookbook by Julie Albert & Lisa Gnat

For the past few weeks I have been reviewing a wonderful new cookbook called BITE ME by sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat and today I get to share some information with all of you about the cookbook which is a nice thick soft-cover 272 page book. ISBN: 978-1-906868-44-4 and the cover price is $24.95.

Synopsis (About the Cookbook): Saucy sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat are somebody, alright. Julie's a busybody who lives for laughs, pop culture, music, photography and entertaining you in and out of the kitchen. Lisa is a homebody whose bionic nose and supreme palate have fueled her passion for eating and feeding and helped her conquer the age-old "What's for dinner?" dilemma. Together, these gut-busting (in all ways) girls are everybody...like everybody they want to feast on extraordinary eats, marvel in merrymaking and guilt-free, tell one and all to "Bite Me."

Some of the Recipes included in book:

* Creamy White Bean Spread with Asiago Crackers
* Grilled Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce
* Honey-Baked Coconut Shrimp
* Traditional Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls
* Nutty Butternut Squash Soup
* Strawberry Salad with Sugared Almonds
* Chopped Greek Salad
* Southwestern Sweet Potato Fries
* Bountiful Corn Pudding
* Lustful Creamy Chicken Fettuccine
* Enticing Deep Dish Meat Lasagna
* Cranberry Orange Bread
* Delectable Pecan Pie
* and many more!

My Thoughts on the Book: The book is broken down into 10 chapters: Grab Me Appetizers, Spoon Me Soups, unDress Me Salads, Respect Me Vegetables, Crave Me Pasta & Rice, Gobble Me Poultry, Catch Me Fish, Meet Me Meat, Join Me Brunch and Fork Me Dessert. Just reading those make me giggle! When I read through the book I found myself laughing every couple of pages as these two sisters are funny and crack you up...nice to see humor displayed in a cookbook! I love that these recipes use easy to find ingredients and the directions on how to prepare the recipe are in easy...so even the beginner cook can prepare them. The color photographs in the book of the food dishes are nice and large and I love seeing food photos as it gives you ideas on how you can present the item you made. Everything about this cookbook is top notch and it would make a great addition to your cookbook collection. Matter of fact, it has quickly become one of my favorite cookbooks! You will find everything in this book from appetizers, main dish, side dish and desserts along with things in between! Just looking at their photos will make you hungry so I highly recommend this cookbook to you!

I would like to thank the girls for the opportunity to review their fabulous Bite Me Cookbook! This is a great addition to my cookbook library!

Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. The Shakin N Bakin Blog is not responsible for delivery of any giveaway items won from this blog. We are not responsible for injury or mis-use of any products won from the Shakin N Bakin Blog. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering our giveaways. Thanks!

Grandma's Delicious Homemade Banana Cake Recipe

One of my very favorite cakes happens to be homemade banana cake! If you love banana cake like I do...you have to to try out this recipe that I got from my grandmother about 20 years ago. This cake comes out with just the right amount of banana taste to it and it's very moist which is how I like my cakes. You don't have to frost it all or you can frost it with a cream cheese or vanilla frosting.

Grandma's Banana Cake Recipe

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup mashed ripe banana
2/3 cup cold milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grease lightly and flour two 9" round baking pans. In a bowl combine the first 5 ingredients. Add shortening and banana, beat on low speed until combined. Add milk, eggs and vanilla; beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Turn batter into prepared pans. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until done. Great topped with your favorite cream cheese frosting.

How To Save Money with Grocery Coupons

How To Save Money with Grocery Coupons by Cinnamon Henke

If you are like most families your grocery trips are one of your most expensive monthly “bills”. You hear about people saving tons of money and even getting items for free with coupons but you don’t know what to do. Here are a few tips to get you started.

First things first:

• You have to get the coupons!
• You can get some from the Sunday paper if you subscribe to it.
• You can find then in local grocery stores advertisements
• You can find places to print them offline.
• You can sometimes call, email or write companies and ask them for coupons.

Understanding types of coupons:

Manufacture coupons and Store Coupons. Manufacture coupons are usually good at every store as the Manufacturing Company rebates the Grocery stores to take them.

Store coupons are put out by the grocery stores to help draw you in. Some stores are now accepting competitors (other stores) coupons. Ask the stores in your area if the take competitor coupons.

So now you have your stash of coupons and you should try to organize your coupons. I keep mine in an envelope in the car so I always have them with me. Coupons do you no good if you leave them at home.

Here are more tips to help you save big!

• Some stores double coupons, ask the stores in your area if they do and when.
• Wait to use a good coupon until the items goes on sale, you will save even more money.
• Sometimes a store will let you use more than one coupon per item, try it.
• Pay attention to expiration dates on your coupons.
• Don’t be afraid to speak up, for instance. My husband had 7 coupons each for $1 off of the Organics brand items at Safeway. The cashier tried to tell him he could only use one per trip. The coupon did not say that anywhere on it, so he told her that. She ended up having to let him use all 7 coupons.

Now it’s time to go shopping and save some money!!

Article by, Cinnamon Henke a mom of 3 girls with big appetites. See how you can save even more money and earn money in the process by going to
http://CinnamonHenke.com

Article Source: WAHM Articles

Prefense Hand Sanitizer Product Review & Giveaway

Sponsored by Tomoson.com
Today I have a really cool product to talk to you about called Prefense Foaming Hand Sanitizer and unlike other hand sanitizer's this particular one is alcohol-free! As a person who is allergic to alcohol I never thought I would be able to use a hand sanitizer until now and wow...I am really impressed with the Prefense Foaming Hand Sanitizer! If you are a medical/dental professional, cook, daycare provider, parent, grandparent or really anyone who is a hand sanitizer user...you really need to check out this one because it's a silica based, alcohol-free, easy to use and more importantly...it does a fabulous job at softening your hands, keeping them moisturized and more importantly...it kills germs & protects your hands from further germs for up to 24 hours! Wow!

Here is some information on the Prefense Foaming Hand Sanitizer: (provided to me by the company): This product is long lasting and is water based (not alcohol based like other hand sanitizers). It is lightly scented, lasts for up to 24 hours with just one application and protects through 10 hand washings. The Silica Complex moisturizes your hands and doesn't dry them out like alcohol-based hand sanitizers. It is non-flammable and physically kills germs and microorganisms. The 1.5 oz. bottle will last you for about 110 days.

Prefense Botanicals Advantages: It is 100% alcohol free! It sanitizes your skin and nails on contact and the patented formula adheres to skin forming a protective antibacterial barrier, wet or dry. It contains a moisturizing silica complex with soothing organic botanicals to prevent drying, redness and chapping. It is safe for both kids and adults to use! It kills all strains of Staphylococcus aureus including drug resistant MRSA strains. It is long lasting protection against germs, including staph, strep, E. coli and many more. It will stop skin to skin transfer of germs and through regular application it provides continual antibacterial protection.

My Review: I was recently in the hospital for 26 days so I had my husband bring the Prefense Foaming Hand Sanitizer in to me once it arrived so that I could try it out in there since hospital acquired germs are always an issue when you visit a hospital (as a visitor, healthcare worker or even a patient). As someone who is allergic to alcohol and couldn't use hand sanitizer's before...I was really excited about trying it out once he brought it in to me.

I read over the info that came with my product and I immediately squirted the foaming hand sanitizer onto my hands and gently rubbed it in. I immediately noticed how my hands felt moisturized and they didn't turn blood red like they would have if I had used an alcohol-based product. It only took me about 10-15 seconds to rub it in and I was done. I made a point to use the product every morning and bedtime while I was in there since germs are so prevalent and I was constantly coming into contact with things with my hands. This product never dried out my hands or nails and it actually felt good on my skin. I made every family member and visitor who visited me in there use it just for the simple fact that I didn't want them carrying home any hospital germs to their families. This is an awesome product and I am so very happy that I can finally use a hand sanitizer to protect myself from germs and more importantly...this product does a fantastic job! Please visit the Prefense Foaming Hand Sanitizer web site to learn more about this fabulous product!

Giveaway:
One lucky U.S. Reader is going to win an 8 oz. bottle of the Prefense Foaming Hand Sanitizer! This big bottle will last you and your family a long time and I know you are going to love this product!

Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the US ONLY age 18 and over. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering. You must be a PUBLIC FOLLOWER of our blog using Google Friend Connect to have your entries count in our giveaways. Non-Followers will have their entries rejected after the giveaway closes. This giveaway will close on May 9th at 11:59 pm EST time.

Mandatory Entry: To enter this giveaway you must be a PUBLIC FOLLOWER of the Shakin & Bakin Blog and You must visit Prefense and take a look around. Come back here and tell us how you use these type of products.

Bonus Entries: You may complete these after fulfilling the mandatory entry above. Please leave a separate comment for each one that you complete with your email address.

Earns 2 Entries: Follow Prefense on Facebook.
Earns 2 Entries: Follow Prefense on Twitter.
Earns 3 Entries: Write up your own post about this giveaway along with live links to Shakin & Bakin and to the sponsor and post it on your blog (leave link)
Earns 1 Entry Daily: You can copy and paste the following Tweet over on Twitter once per day. (leave status link)

Copy & Paste Tweet:
Win a Foaming Hand Sanitizer from @Prefense Ends 5/09 Enter at http://bit.ly/f4lk3n #giveaways

I would like to thank Prefense for allowing me to review their product!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com created by WebBizIdeas a Minneapolis SEO and Web Design firm. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Delicious Chocolate Velvet Molded Dessert Recipe

To make this recipe you will need a gelatin mold or the Tupperware (tm) Jel-Ring Mold to the recipe. It is really easy to prepare but will take you some time to make but it is well worth your efforts!

Delicious Chocolate Velvet Molded Dessert Recipe

1 gelatin mold container or Tupperware Jel-Ring Mold
1/2 cup cold milk
2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup milk, heated to a boiling
1 large egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups crushed ice

Put the cold milk and gelatin mix into a blender container, cover and process until smooth. Pour in the hot boiling mix, cover again and process again until smooth and until the gelatin has dissolved. Then stir in the egg, sugar and chocolate morsels and process again until smooth. Finally, stir in the vanilla, whipping cream and crushed ice. Process until everything is combined and smooth. (this can also be done in a large bowl with a good powerful electric mixer).

Pour into the gelatin mold and place the seal on top. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm.

Expand Your Outdoor Space at Pier 1 Imports

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pier 1 for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Spring is here and that means getting ready to spend some lovely time outdoors. Once the snow is gone, I love to cleanup and beautify my deck and yard. One of my favorite places to shop for beautiful indoor and outdoor furniture and decor is Pier 1. They always have a great selection of wonderful home decor and outside furniture to make any size space look wonderful!

I just love being outside in my backyard during Spring and before the hot weather starts. It becomes an extension of my living area so I am excited to see that Pier 1 has beautiful indoor/outdoor rugs that will enhance my space. There are some lovely tables and cushions for my chairs and I just love all of the colors that they have on the site. The greens, reds and blues are perfect for my backyard and deck and you have to see the new Papsan chairs that have updated. There are now several styles of chairs as well as the swinging Swingasan. That would be perfect for a lazy day if I throw a few new pillows on it. I spied some beautiful placemats and I think some new dishes would be perfect for outdoor use as well. I cannot wait to get everything ready for this lovely late Spring.

If you are in NYC, there is an upcoming Tweetups scheduled that you are going to want to check out. For more information as well as dates and times, visit: Pier 1 Tweetups

Have fun updating your outdoor living space! I know I am!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post written by Shelly Hill on behalf of the advertiser. I was compensated to write this post by the advertiser...however, the wording, subject matter and my opinion are all my own. Your thoughts and opinion may differ from mine. Please read the SNB Blog Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy for additional information. We are not affiliated with this company in any way.

How To Make Homemade Raisinberry Relish With Recipe

Often times when people hear of "homemade relishes" they think it's a long and difficult process to make it and that is simply untrue. People assume that to make the relish they will need to process it in a water bath canner to preserve it and for a lot of people, they don't want to mess with canning. For those who don't enjoy canning, I have a very easy to prepare recipe to share with you and once you have made the relish, it can be stored in your refrigerator.

When you make this recipe it is important that you read through it before you even begin preparing it. You want to make sure that you measure out all of your ingredients and don't "guess" on the measurements because you want it to set up properly once it has been cooked. In my personal opinion, it is better to store this relish in half-pint glass mason jars than in plastic refrigerator containers. You will need a 4 quart or larger stock pot or sauce pan to make the recipe and I find it very helpful to to use a non-stick silicone spatula for all stirring otherwise, you will find that the mixture will stick to a conventional spatula.

Homemade Honey Raisinberry Relish Recipe

1 1/2 cups golden raisins
1 cup soft and plump regular raisins
2 1/2 cups of tap water
2/3 cup organic honey
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 1/2 tablespoons of grated lemon peel
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped

In a large stock pot or large saucepan, combine together the raisins, water, organic honey and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium to high heat stirring constantly with a nonstick spatula or spoon. You will want to keep stirring and cooking it until the honey melts and the ingredients are coated with the honey. Turn down the heat to low and simmer the mixture covered for 10-12 minutes. Stir in the cranberries and grated lemon peel. Bring the mixture back up to a full boil and boil for 1 minute and then turn the heat back down to low and simmer for an additional 10-12 minutes. It is done when there is barely any more liquid left in your pan. Remove pan from heat. Stir in your finely chopped walnuts until they are well blended into the mixture.

Ladle the mixture into clean and sterilized glass mason jars. Let the mixture cool for 30 minutes at room temperature and then place rings and seals on your jars. Place jars into your refrigerator for storage. This recipe makes 4 to 4 1/2 cups of relish and it will keep for 2-3 weeks in your refrigerator.

Guest Blogger Recipe ~ Classic Chicken Soup Recipe

My good friend and business partner Chris Carroll is sharing one of her favorite soup recipes today and I look forward to trying this one out soon! I love to make soups for my family as they are easy to prepare and make a great meal.

Classic Chicken Soup Recipe

2-3 Large pieces of Chicken, raw on the bone
Water
Chicken Soup Base, 2 bouillon cubes or your favorite chicken stock
½ -1 Carrot sliced
1-2 stalks celery with tops, diced
Salt & pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Maggi Seasoning to taste, at least 10 shots or more, depending on amount of liquid
Egg noodles or elbows, your choice

In a large soup pot, fill with water to the desired level. Bring to a boil. Add enough soup base/stock to get a good chicken flavor. Add Chicken, carrot and celery and all spices. Allow to cook 30-45 min until chicken is cooked through. Pull chicken out and let cool, shredding it after cooling. Return chicken to pot. Simmer.

In a separate pot, cook noodles to just al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water. Add to soup and simmer for an additional 5-10 min. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve with crusty French bread, sandwiches or crackers.

Chris is a work at home mom that has made direct sales her business of choice and enjoys sharing information and tips with others. You can find her at her business site at http://twoclassychics.com .

Using Fair Trade Products in your Cooking

When I am buying certain items to stock my pantry, I try and buy as many Fair Trade goods as possible. Fair Trade is a social and market based movement that promotes the fairness of paying a fair prices for products that are produced and exported from developing countries. The products are labeled as such and it does a lot to help those farmers and workers in the developing countries break free from poverty and grow equitable status. Most of the items we see sold as a fair trade item are handcrafted goods, coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas, honey, cotton, wine, fresh fruit, and chocolate. Also flowers and gold depending on the country.

Premcrest Fair Trade is a an online wholesaler. They have 40 years experience in selling fair trade food and drink products. They are a great place to look if you cannot find fair trade items in your local stores. While shopping, you can look on the label for the fair trade mark and you can be assured that you are supporting a fair trade item. If you are having difficulty finding fair trade items in your market, you can send your local retailer to the Premcrest Fair Trade wholesale part of the website where they can purchase the products to carry in your local markets.

Finding cooking ingredients that are healthy and also support independent farmers and farm workers is important to me and the more we let others know about it, the more prevalent it will become. In the long run, we can hope that many more people will take a moment and purchase the fair trade products so that can help change a community and eventually a world.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post written by Shelly Hill on behalf of the advertiser. I was compensated to write this post by the advertiser...however, the wording, subject matter and my opinion are all my own. Your thoughts and opinion may differ from mine. Please read the SNB Blog Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy for additional information. We are not affiliated with this company in any way.

Flirty Aprons Product Review & Giveaway

I have a fun site for you to check out today as well as a great gift idea for those moms out there. Flirty Aprons is a site well known for their fun take on a kitchen basic, the apron. Whether it is for a woman, a man or the kids, they have put the fun back into cooking with their cute aprons.

These aprons are great for protecting your clothes while doing crafts or cleaning as well as your cooking so why not wear something fun and flirty while doing your dreaded chores. From high fashion styles to traditional vintage style aprons, Flirty Aprons has a style you and your mom will love. Oh, they also carry the cutest gloves for cleaning as well! Love them!

The Review
Flirty Aprons has a new lower cost line out and I was sent one of the new aprons for your review today. The “Marilyn” Line has 3 new styles that are very cute and a little more budget friendly for some. The new styles are Candy Shop Themed and are called Strawberry Shortcake, Mint-a-licsous and Sugar n’ Spice. I received the Mint-a-licsous for the review.

The product was shipped so fast! It was here like the next day. I was impressed about that. The apron was packed well and folded nicely in the package. The apron has a very cute style with 3 rows of ruffles along the bottom. It is Single-Layered with ties in the back and it is made from 100% Cotton so it is easy to clean and care for. The finishing of the sewing is nice with no threads hanging.

I think the this is great gift idea for mom especially with Mother's Day right around the corner. What a fun gift for her. Swing by the site and check out their other great aprons that they make. If you have to do boring and yucky household chores, you might as well dress like you are having fun with it!

The Giveaway
If you are interested in entering this giveaway, come on over to our sister blog Two Classy Chics Review & Giveaway blog and enter to win one!

Canning - How To Make Homemade Banana Butter and Banana Jam with Recipes

Bananas are one of my favorite fruits to enjoy and I love how versatile bananas can be when cooking with them or baking with them. When it comes to their nutritional information they are high in potassium, vitamin C and they are a great source of dietary fiber.

When Bananas are on sale at our local food market I like to purchase them in bulk and make some homemade banana butter and jam. The following two recipes are really easy to prepare and taste delicious. You will need some basic canning supplies, mason jars and a water bath canner to make them. Once they are made, label your mason jars with the name of the contents, the expiration date and store them in a cool, dry and dark place. When properly processed...they should keep for up to 1 year.

Tips: You want to measure out your ingredients carefully and in the exact amounts given in the recipes. When cooking the mixture, follow the time guideline exactly as stated to ensure that your products set up properly. Every water bath canner has different processing times so please follow the times recommended in your instruction booklet.

Banana Butter Recipe

3 cups of ripe bananas
1/4 cup fresh or bottled lemon juice
1/4 cup maraschino cherries, finely chopped into small pieces
6 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 (6 ounce) bottle of liquid pectin

In a large mixing bowl, mash down the bananas with a fork or a potato masher. When you have 3 firmly packed cups of fruit pour it into a large saucepan or stock pot. Stir in the lemon juice, finely chopped cherry pieces and the granulated sugar. Bring the mixture to a full boil, stirring constantly. Boil the fruit mixture for 1 minute and then remove from heat. Stir in the liquid pectin. Ladle mixture into clean sterilized mason jars. Seal and process your jars in a water bath canner for 10 minutes or according to your canner's instructions for canning jam.

Banana Jam Recipe

5 ripe bananas
3 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon table salt

In a large mixing bowl, mash down the bananas with a fork or potato masher. Pour the fruit into a large saucepan or stock pot. Stir in the fresh lime juice, orange juice, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Bring mixture up to a full boil over medium-high heat, stirring often and then reduce heat to low. Simmer the fruit mixture over the low heat for 25 minutes or until it begins to thicken. Ladle the mixture into clean and sterilized mason jars. Process the jars in your water bath canner for 7 minutes or according to your canner's instructions.

This article was written by Shelly Hill, copyright 2011, All Rights Reserved.

3 Easy To Make Pork Chop Recipes For Family Dinners

As a busy mother, grandmother and wife, I am always looking for easy to prepare dinner recipes that I can make for my family that don't take a lot of effort or time. Each of these three recipes will make 4-6 servings. If you have any leftovers, you can refrigerate them for up to 3 days or freeze them in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.

Stroganoff Pork Chops Recipe

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
6 lean pork chops
1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup sour cream

In a small bowl, combine together the flour with the salt. Rinse chops under running water so that they are moist. Dip them into the flour mixture. In a large skillet that has been sprayed lightly with non-stick vegetable cooking spray, brown the meat over medium heat. In a small bowl mix together the brown gravy packet with water (as directed on package) and then pour gravy into the skillet with the meat. Stir in the chopped onion, cover and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes. Uncover the skillet and simmer for an additional 10-12 minutes. Remove meat from skillet and transfer it to a serving platter. Stir sliced mushrooms and sour cream into the gravy mixture until it is well combined. Simmer gravy for 5 minutes and pour it over the pork chops before serving.

Baked Italian-Style Pork Chops Recipe

6 lean pork chops
1 can condensed Italian style tomato soup
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

In a 9" x 13" baking dish, bake the pork chops in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Drain off any fat. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the tomato soup, water, white vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and hot pepper sauce. Ladle this mixture over top of the partially cooked chops. Place baking dish back into the oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until done.

Pork Chops In Creamy Mushroom Sauce Recipe

6 lean pork chops
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Place 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into a large skillet with the pork chops. Over medium-high heat, cook the meat for 10-12 minutes or until browned on both sides. Drain off fat. In a small bowl combine together the cream of mushroom soup, water, salt and pepper. Bring temperature up to a boiling point, reduce heat to low and cover the pan. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until meat is done.

This article was written by Shelly Hill, copyright 2011, All Rights Reserved.

Mexican Enchilada Casserole Recipe

When I was a young girl, I spent a few years living in the Southwest so I grew up eating Mexican food and to this day...love it! This casserole recipe is pretty easy to make and from start to finish will take about an hour.

Mexican Enchilada Casserole Recipe

1 lb. ground beef
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 envelope of enchilada sauce mix (purchase it near where the taco seasoning is sold)
8 (8" round) flour tortillas
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 container sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large frying pan, simmer the ground beef until it is no longer pink and it's brown. Drain off any excess grease. Stir in the refried beans, tomato sauce, water and the envelope of enchilada sauce mix, bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

Arrange half of the flour tortillas on the bottom of a 3 quart casserole dish or an oblong baking pan, overlapping them as you go along. Top with half of the ground beef mixture and half of the shredded cheddar cheese. Repeat with the remaining floured tortillas and remaining ground beef mixture.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove and sprinkle the remaining shredded cheddar cheese on top and place back into the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place a few dollops of sour cream on top before serving.

This recipe will make 8 hearty servings.

Product Review: Delicious Blazing Hot InsaneChicken Hot Sauce!

Today I would like to introduce you to the company called InsaneChicken which makes some the best tasting and hottest hot sauces we have ever tried! Wow...if you like hot sauce then you will love the products that InsaneChicken sells! When you shop at InsaneChicken you will find hot sauces, bbq sauces, bbq rubs and hot sauce gifts. They have a really nice selection of products and with grilling season getting back into swing again...it is time to stock up on your grilling goodies!

The Review: The generous folks over at InsaneChicken sent us some hot sauces to try out for all of you. We received the Choke Your Chicken Peri Peri Sauce, the Cluckin' Hot Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce and the Fire Roasted Habanero Hot Sauce for the review. First up...the Choke Your Chicken Peri Peri Sauce. This sauce sells for $5.95 per bottle. With this sauce we decided to make some hot and spicy chicken wings and we used the InsaneChicken's Hot & Spicy Wing recipe to make them. Since I haven't been feeling well the past week...I made them and left my hubby and his 2 friends devour them. I asked those boys if their wings were hot enough and they replied...super hot and were swallowing their beer to wash it all down. I asked them if they thought the wings were good and all 3 of them nodded their heads. I must say...after about 45 minutes...there were NO wings left! The guys loved them even though they were hot & spicy!

The recipe calls for hot pepper sauce but we used the Choke Your Chicken Peri Peri Sauce and it turned out fabulous according to the guys. I enlisted the help of my daughter's fiance to help me test out the other 2 sauces since he was having a bunch of friends over last weekend for a barbecue. These are 22 to 28 year old guys who like their food hot and spicy so he was more than happy to get the bottles from me and use them for his barbecue. He used the Insane Chicken's Cluckin' Hot Sauce on chicken wings that he prepared and grilled for his guests. He used the Insane Chicken's Fire Roasted Habanero Hot Sauce on some chicken legs and quarters that he was grilling. He mixed the hot sauce with barbecue sauce and basted all of the chicken with it and then grilled them over high heat. Once done he told me her served all of it to his guests. The next day he called to give me his report...he told me that all of his guests enjoyed the chicken but they all had different favorites. He said that the girls and a few guys preferred the Fire Roasted Habanero hot sauce but the "real" men of the group preferred the Cluckin' Hot Ghost Pepper Sauce. Remember, he didn't use them straight out of the bottles...he mixed them with barbecue sauce and used for marinating and basting their chicken. He also told me that they used the left over hot sauce as a topping on their Nacho's and everyone raved about it as a Nacho chip topping! I asked him if he would ever purchase this sauce and he said absolutely he would and he wanted to know where I got it and I told him InsaneChicken!

So there you have it folks...if you like HOT and Extremely HOT sauces...you need to head on over to InsaneChicken's web site and check out all of their products! With grilling season getting into swing again, stock up on your favorites or purchase some new ones to try! I would personally like to thank InsaneChicken.com for allowing me to do a product review for their company and for hosting a giveaway here on the Shakin N Bakin Foodie Blog.

Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. Two Classy Chics is not responsible for delivery of any giveaway items won from this blog. We are not responsible for injury or mis-use of any products won from the SNB Blog. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering our giveaways. Thanks!

Gertrude Hawk Chocolates ~ Easter Chocolate Candy Deals This Week!

Easter is just around the corner so it's time to stock up on all of your favorite Easter candies! One of our favorite places to purchase Easter chocolates happens to be the fabulous Gertrude Hawk Chocolates Store!

Hot Easter Deal Alert ----> Right now buy $25.00 or more in Gertrude Hawk Chocolates and get FREE shipping on your order!!! Use the coupon code BASKETENVY during the checkout process so that you can get free shipping on your purchase!

You can purchase just single boxed/packaged Easter chocolates or you can purchase boxed sets and Easter basket sets. One of my favorite Gertrude Hawk Chocolates items happens to be their fabulous caramel and chocolate dipped Granny Smith Apple and if you ask my hubby...he loves their peanut butter smidgens! Right now Gertrude Hawk Chocolates Smidgens are on sale...buy 2 packages of Smidgens and get a third package for free! So head on over to Gertrude Hawk Chocolates and get your Easter chocolate shopping done early! Hippety Hop Hop!!!

Disclaimer: The Shakin 'N Bakin Blog was not compensated to make this post. The owners of the SNB Blog do not make any money off of sales generated from this post. The owners simply wrote about Gertrude Hawk Chocolates due to the simple fact that they love their products. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before proceeding.

Product Review: Applied Labels which are Dishwasher Safe Labels For Your Food Storage Containers!

Today I would like to introduce you to the company called Applied Labels, LLC. based out of the great city of Memphis, Tennessee. When you shop the Applied Labels online store you will find labels that you can have personalized with your name, your child's name, school's name or sporting team name...if you need personalized labels for anything...this is the store you need to check out!

I was really excited about doing a product review for Applied Labels since I had read on their web site that you can purchase dishwasher-safe labels!!! I am contstantly cooking and baking and sending treats or left-overs home to my daughter's house or to my husband's office and I never get my containers back! I am now solving this problem by using Applied Labels products on my plastic storageware containers!!!

I received the Classic Applied Labels pack for my review and I simply had the labels imprinted to say THE HILLS. I then used these labels on my pie taker, cake taker, cupcake holder and other plasticware containers that I send left-overs in to my daughter's house. I love the size on these labels, they a not too small where you have to squint to read them nor are they too large that they ruin the design of the item you are sticking them onto.

The Applied Labels are Ultra-Tough and Dishwasher-Safe and Laundry-Safe Name Tags. You simply select a clean and dry surface to apply the label onto, pull off the backing sheet and apply the label by pressing down on the label firmly. For the review, I applied some of the labels to my plastic storage containers and to my large on-the-go beverage container. I have since washed the items in the dishwasher a few times now and the labels look just as perfect todays as they did last week when I applied them! I love how this mom used the Applied Labels to personalize the baby's bottles which is a great way to keep baby's bottles from being mixed up at the daycare center.

I invite you to check out all of the custom Applied Labels packages that you can pick out to suit your needs. You can also check out Applied Labels on Facebook and on Twitter. I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Easy to Make Easter Treats for Kids ~ Including Recipes!

Easy to Make Easter Treats for Kids by Denise Willms

Easter is such an exciting time if you have small children. They eagerly anticipate the Easter Bunny's visit and all the treats he will bring them. Even my two teenagers look forward to his arrival each spring!

I also like to make my own special treats for my family. Here are three of my favorite Easter treats to make for kids... no matter how old they are. These treats all have two things in common: they're easy to make and they're all made with jello.

Enjoy!

Easter Flowers

2 pkgs of jello in your kids' favorite flavor
1 1/4 cups boiling water
4 small paper cups
4 large marshmallows

To create the flower pots, make the jello by dissolving the powder into the bowling water. When it's completely dissolved, pour it into the paper cups. Refrigerate the cuts until the jello is firm, probably about 3 hours.

To make the flowers, cut each marshmallow into five pieces to make flower petals. Put the petals together in a flower shape. You will have to squeeze them together tightly so they stay. For decoration, you can press sprinkles onto the petals and put a candy in the center of the flower.

To assemble your flower, put a toothpick into the center of the marshmallow flower. Then place the toothpick into a straw. Now you have a pretty Easter flower on a stem.

Peel away the paper cups from the jello pots. Place the pot on a serving plate and plant your flower in the center of your pot.

Jiggly Easter Eggs

2 large packages of jello, or 4 small packages
2 1/2 cups boiling water or juice

Mix the jello powder with the boiling water or juice. Pour the mixture into a 13x9 inch pan. Chill until firm, usually around 3 hours.

When the jello is set, dip the pan in warm warm for about 15 seconds. Then use your favorite Easter cookie cutters to cut into shapes. Lift them out of the pan. Make sure you keep your jiggly Easter eggs in the fridge until you're ready to serve them.

Popcorn Bunnies

1/4 cup butter
6 cups miniature marshmallows
1 pkg (85 g) jello powder
12 cups popped popcorn

Microwave the butter and marshmallows until marshmallows are puffy. Then add the jelly powder and mix well. The marshmallows will melt while you stire.

Pour the marshmallow mixture over your popcorn. Stir quickly and coat all the popcorn.

To shape your popcorn into bunny shapes, make one popcorn ball for the bunny's body. Then make a smaller one for the head. Finally, finish off the bunny by adding two ears. You can add candy or raisins to make a bunny face.

Denise Willms is a freelance writer and virtual assistant, and a work at home mom to two teenagers. Do you want to know how you can be a successful work at home mom too? Denise publishes free work at home articles at http://www.WAHM-Articles.com While you're there, be sure to sign up for the weekly newsletter, WAHM Tips. It's the weekly email that helps moms earn more from home!

Article Source: WAHM Articles