My 2012 Photo Book

I enjoy the ease of making these photo books to help me round up my year.  I did one for my grandson for his first year to share with his mommy and daddy.  And I   also did one for JD for her college graduation tribute.  So this time I did a year round up for a special Christmas gift to Dear Hubby and myself.  Here it is!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly allows you to customize your photo book

just the way you want.  This is not a sponsored post. I just really enjoy the books!

I See Me!

Well I am sure your gearing up for the holidays.  Of course there is Thanksgiving just around the corner.  We are also celebrating Dear Hubby's 50th birthday soon.  Yeah that is a pretty big milestone.  And then there is the big day, Christmas.  The Grandbabes will be biting on the bit soon to get to the goodies then.  Right after that is Granny M's 79th birthday.  Yeah, November and December are pretty busy times for us.  We are working on holiday jams already.  I am also gearing up for all of the holiday baking too.  But most of all I am hoarding away all the gifts for my family.

Right now I have two really special gifts for the Grandbabes from I See Me.  They are personalized just for them.  You see my oldest has always loved puzzles.  Thus I ordered her a puzzle that has her name on it as well as beautiful artwork of animals.  Of course the picture is a sample as I have not put her puzzle together.   The pieces on top are really large for a floor puzzle.  Then the bottom ones are small and all the same pattern.  So it will be interesting for her to look and piece out her name.  

This summer I noticed that our middle grandbabe has really been working on coloring in the lines and very neatly.  He has shown so much pride in doing this.  That is why I ordered him his very own name coloring book.  His is the one with the owl.  Inside he will find each letter of his name per page as he spells it out with matching pictures to color. I know that Princess Emma would enjoy one just as much since she loves to draw and color too.

I was looking at the personalized placemats for our youngest Grandbabe.  He is up and running now.  I am not too sure on how well he is being kept at the table during meal times either.  You know how they get at this stage.  But a placemat no only keeps the table cleaned up it can help entertain your young one when their attention wonders.  We use to keep one under JD's high chair that attached to our dining table when she was just a wee one.  Add in that it is personalized and you can have learning time.  Pointing out the letters of their name and spelling it out for them.  Also the bright colors and shapes could be identified.  Seems like a winning gift to me.

FREE SHIPPING promotion is here! Enter coupon code SANTA at checkout at www.iseeme.com. Hurry! Expires November 14th!

Make sure you pop over and check out I See Me.  They have personalized books for Christmas and Hanukkah.  I bet you can find the just right gift that would be for your lil one and them only.  Also know that when 2 or more placemats or coloring books are ordered...there is always a discount!!  You can also find I See Me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.  It was lovely of I See Me to provide me with both the puzzle and coloring book in exchange for letting you know about them.  I could not have asked for better gifts to give to my oldest grandbabes.  

Saucing It Up

We had guest over for dinner tonight.  It is a local man that always makes me smile.  But living in the middle of hunting area somewhat makes it hard for him to have dinner out.  He is chosen a vegetarian meal plan.  Being a single fellow he does not do much cooking for himself.  So when we can, we invite him for a home cooked meal.

Tonight we started off with my ever famous Vanilla Pumpkin Soup.  I just switched the broth to vegetable instead of chicken.  Added in some fresh baked yeast rolls and a green salad for side dishes.  Dessert was a homemade mincemeat cake.  Pretty good and a lil on the spicy side.  

But for our main course we had Meat-less Meatloaf.  First I cooked up a pot of pinto beans today.  Drained them and then smashed them up.  Added in chopped up onions and bell peppers.  I used the last of my bag of Beanfields Nacho Bean & Rice chips for the filler.  And then mixed in Fischer & Wieser Sweet & Savory Onion Glaze.

 Oh that gave this dish the most wonderful flavor.  I loved the sweet onions but the touch of jalapenos did just the trick.  A Texas winner if I ever saw one.  I then just mixed this all up by hand and placed it in a bunt pan to cook.

 Voila' dinner was served.  I need to get the beans a lil more mashed up and I wish I had used a bit more of that amazing sauce.  But I am going to do this all over again Thursday night for the in-laws.  I am going to try the

Smokehouse Bacon & Chipotle Grilling Sauce for that one!  

Now I want to tell you about these sauces I am using.  I have plans for many more of them.  Dear Hubby and I enjoyed a weekend roaming the streets of Fredricksburg, Texas.  And sampling the yummies that come from this German heritage town.  That is where Fischer & Wieser hales from.  Established in 1969, and owned and operated by members of the Fischer and Wieser families, the company lives by its motto “produce a quality product, and loyal customers will embrace it”.  I have several sauces that I have slated for different dinners.  

Harvest Apple Cider Glaze (a must have for pork tenderloin)

Sweet & Savory Onion Glaze (I would love to try this on grilled corn on the corn)

Smokehouse Bacon & Chipotle Grilling Sauce  (everyone loves Bacon!)

Charred Pineapple Bourbon Sauce (make up a new wings sauce here)

Papaya Lime Serrano Sauce (fish, yes, this one for the fish)

and of course the The Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce®

This is one of my picks for my Gift Guide this year.  I think that these would be great to give to the foodie in the family.  You can order online and have them shipped to you or directly to your special someone.  Fischer & Wieser also has a couple of recipes you might want to try out!

Chicken Dippers using Fischer & Wieser’s The Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce®

These chicken dippers are quick-to-fix finger foods that can be enjoyed as a main dish with a side salad or vegetables or as an appetizer for all to enjoy.

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

1 egg
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and tendon, cut into 1" nuggets
*1-1/2 cups peanut oil (or see baking instructions below, if you prefer to bake)
½ to ¾ cups The Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce®

Mix egg, soy sauce and cornstarch. Add chicken nuggets. Heat oil until hot enough to quickly brown a small drop of marinade (350-375°F). Stir-fry or deep-fry until crust is golden brown and chicken is done - about 4-6 minutes.

Dip in (remove “any of”) Fischer & Wieser The Original Roasted Raspberry ChipotleSauce® or any of our dipping sauces.

*If you wish to bake these, omit peanut oil. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray, or use parchment paper.

Place battered nuggets on sheet and bake in 350°F oven 7-8 minutes per side until nuggets are golden brown and juice runs clear when nugget is pierced with fork. Serves 4-6.

Fischer & Wieser Whole Lemon & Fig Marmalade is a versatile ingredient that packs a big punch with the zesty tang of lemon and the beautiful sweetness of figs. This flavor combination is so light and delicate that it’s perfect for chicken.

Chicken Breasts with Whole Lemon & Fig Marmalade

Figs have been rated as one of the world’s healthiest foods, and have been found to aid weight loss, lower blood pressure, and promote healthy bone density.٭ With only 2 main ingredients, this recipe couldn’t be easier, healthier or more delicious!  

Prep Time:  5-10 minutes
Cook Time:  35 minutes

Serves 4

1-1/4 cup Fischer & Wieser Whole Lemon & Fig Marmalade
non-stick cooking spray
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange chicken breasts in baking dish; spoon Fischer & Wieser Whole Lemon & Fig Marmalade over breasts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 35 minutes, basting frequently with more Fischer & Wieser Whole Lemon & Fig Marmalade.  Remove chicken from baking dish and place on warm platter. Pour cooking juices over chicken as sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon slices if desired. Serve with a tossed salad and a side of rice, and you’ve got dinner!           

Thanks ever so much to Fischer & Wieser for sending me these wonderful sauces to try out.  I love having foods made right here in Texas.  And more so when I can go and visit to see just what goodies they have on hand.  Also amazingly affordable prices!  That is perfect for me and my pocket book when it comes to gifts this season.

Related articles

• Fischer & Wieser Original Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce

It's Bumble

This weekend the Christmas movies started.  So the first thing that College Girl looked for was her 3 favorite shows.  They are Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, Frosty the Snowman, Frosty Returns and Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer.  (Her fav character is Bumble.)  College Girl grew up watching these shows with her Poppa every year.  They even have a Bumble Christmas tree ornament.




Well I am so excited because I can now give a wonderful gift to her Poppa (my ex).  This year I have the Blu-Ray box set of The Original Christmas Classics Collection with these 3 shows. I can't wait to see his eyes when he opens this gift.  It is like giving him a piece of childhood to him. 

 Just think of it. With this collection you can share with your kids and grandbabes.    Having all 4 of these shows in one collection is a good deal.  At $44.99 it comes to just $11.25 per show.  Not a bad price on keeping a tradition going.  So we are all set with our hot cocoa and TV time set aside.  I know that College Girl and her Poppa will be introducing Princess Emma to their favorite Christmas stories this year.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of this DVD to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided. Thanks to Classic Media for the image.

Gifts for A Lot of Readers

Today we are starting out on a lighter note. I am wanting to share another of my gift guide selections with you.  (Honestly, I have been pretty stressed and need to share some good with all.)

So lets start by looking at The Secret Life of Louie V.  This is told in a children's book about a Siamese cat, Louie V, who's mischievous caper is set to make children smile.  We all know that those lazy felines do not just sleep all day.  No they are on adventures all the time.  In this book Louie explores his owners closet while she is out for the day.  The next book has Louie V in Louie V Takes the Cake.  You can visit Louie at his website and share quizzes, blog and activities with your kiddos.   A portion of each sale of this book goes to help with 3 different charities, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Autism Speaks and VH1 Save the Music Foundation.  So you can give a gift to your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews while sharing a gift with many others in supporting these organizations.  Pretty good deal if you ask me.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of this book to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided.

I also have some giveaways to share with you.  In Mummy Mazes we have two winners.  Here our two winners are:

jenjo3d said...

I follow you here and on facebook! My brain teaser is reading upside down. It causes your brain to have to work differently, not just word association. and

Denea said...

When is my brain not working? Lol. Don't answer that, Mom. ;) My favorite brain-working game is chess, for sure.

And we have 3 winners in the Baby Kiss n' Coo DVD sets.

Amy said...

I would like to win the Baby Kiss and Coo DVD. Classical, calming music is so wonderful in our household and my youngest really takes to those things. Thanks for the chance! And my youngest tries to help me out around the house (which he does) by putting our clothes in the washing machine - even the clean ones! lol Amy Snyder at aesnyder@suddenlink.net  

and

Janie R said...

I would love to win the Baby Kiss and Coo DVDs. My older sister is about to pop with her first baby, and I would love to surprise her with these. I can't wait to meet my new nephew, I just love the new baby smell and new baby cuddles. Thank you for the chance to win! lady_ponies_23@hotmail.com

and

 

Niecey said...

I'd like to enter to win both. My eldest daughter likes to be "mini mom". She helps dress her siblings and likes to cook simple foods for us like toasting bagels etc. nieceyd@gmail.com

 
Next is our winner for the Bink &; Gollie book.  And our winner there is:

Christina F. said...

I'd like the Bink and Gollie book. I think what helps them help others is when they show loving acts towards one another, like giving each other a hug. My older one helps by reading to the younger, which is oh so sweet:) annejk112233@yahoo.com

Now for our last winner of the day. We have Mrs. McVeigh's Magnificent Manners Show DVD. Lucky winner is:

Kim said...

I think my biggest pet peeve is eating with your mouth open, smacking slurping etc. It's disgusting! I have been working on this with my kiddos, they seem to think it's a requirement at their age.

I will be getting emails out to all. I will need them to email me their full names and mailing address so we can get your goodies out to you. Remember you can reach me at: lynette355@yahoo.com

BTW my 1,000 Post!

 Last year for Christmas I received a day at a time calender.  The good part of this was that each day was a different origami art work.  And I could use the pages of the previous day to make my origami work.  This was so neat as I had something interesting to do every day.  I learned a new art form.  And it showed the thought that was given in a give for me.

I love sharing original gifts in my gift guide.  Also affordable ones too!  So for my crafty friends and especially those who have interesting ways to look at the world I give you World's Best Origami by Nick Robinson.  This is a easy to follow book to making over 100 different origami art pieces.  This book starts with the basic forms and even has my personal favorite, the Penguin.  I can imagine you know that person who has everything, well bet they don't have this.

Image by ToastyKen via Flickr

If you would like to teach you kiddo a lil on this art form then you may want to start with the grade school classic of the Fortune Teller.   You remember this one right?  Pick a number and pick a color to get the answer to your question.  Your kiddos will have you helping out with this one just a time or two.  Then they will be answering all your questions with it. 

A Puzzle of a Good Time-Giveaway

I love having Dear at home in the evenings now. It is so nice to be able to sit back and relax with him more.  And no I am not getting tired of having him around.  It is wonderful.  But we both still have our down time alone.  You know that part of the day.  You may be checking email and he is balancing his check book.  Or your folding that last load of laundry while he is reading the paper.  Well we have been finding ourselves curled up on opposite ends of the couch (playing footsie) while each of us have our puzzle books. 

His are those logic puzzles.  Oh they baffle me but he loves them.  I recently received a new one Puzzle Baron's Logic Puzzles.  There are 200 puzzles in this one so maybe it will keep him for a little while.  Unlike other logic puzzle books, every puzzle includes statistics-such as the average completion time, the record completion time, and the percentage of people to complete the puzzle-to bring out the competitor in each puzzler and better inform them on how easy or dif­ficult each puzzle is.   Dear can sit and figure these out while I look like a monkey doing math problems.  I think I am missing a gene that helps put these in order.  But I am quite logical.  Actually I love to download them and print them out to send to my brother.  Dear grabbed up this newest logic puzzle book like it was the holy grail.  Dashed off and put it in his lunch box.  He carries puzzle books with him to work everyday for his down time filler.   Now I can do Sudoku and Granny M loves the  Word Finds.  But another of my favorites are Mazes. 

I curl up on the other end of the couch with my maze books.  I have a new one that is so much fun.  It is Mummy Mazes: A Monumental Book.  And that is so true.  These mazes are two pages in size and I use a TV tray to set the book on to work them out.   Mummy Mazes is designed to open up to 28 poster-size pages.  Once all the mazes are completed, there’s a hieroglyphic puzzle to solve at the end—and then the whole doubles as a coloring book.  I also like that I can learn more about that time period too.  Interesting lil facts and trivia.  Then  I can try to stump Dear on trivia facts.  But this can keep me going for a good time.  I feel this is a great way for both of us to keep our mind sharp too.  As we age we need to remember to exercise our mind to.  This has been said to really help to fight off dementia. 

I am lucky enough to have two more of these puzzle books to giveaway.  Would you like to win one of them?  Well it is always easy to do.  Just leave a comment on how you keep working your brain.  What is your favorite game or brain teaser?  Make sure you leave your email in the comment too.  Extra entry if you follow me on Google Friend Connect too!

I wish to thank the publishers for sending me both of these books.  There are greatly appreciated.  And I would highly recommend them for your gifts this holiday season.  I know that these are great ways to sharpen your brain, but also your kiddos too!

Sneak Peek with a Kick

 Happy Holidays....well almost.  I wanted to let you know I am going to have a 2010 Holiday Gift Guide this year.  Yeah, did my first last year and had a blast doing so.  Now the official kick off is 11-1-10.  But I wanted to do a lil sneak peek.

The beginning of our Fall we have a local festival called the Pow Wow. I so love going every year. Of course I eat my way through it as Carnival food is so indulgent. But, more so, I start getting all of my Holiday Gifts at this time. Sorta like my official kick off for Holiday Shopping.

Well this year I loved finding a great Texas product that I can share with so many of my friends and family. That is the Ranch Hand Jellies Jalapeno Jelly.  Now this is down home goodness.  Not only sweet as can be but has a nice lil kick.  If your looking to share a lil taste of Texas with your friends then consider getting your hands on a jar of this.

I was quite taken with the owner of this jelly company.  Linda and her husband are running a lil ranch company of their own.  All the jelly is made in small batches at home and processed in a great country kitchen.  They make all kinds of jelly but are small and are starting out.  You can call Linda at 817-703-1278 or email her at ranchhand01@suddenlink.net. They only charge $5.00 for a jar plus shipping and handling.  It is approximately 8 ounces in size.   I want to thank her for letting me try the Jalapeno Jelly.  It sure is Kick *** , well, GREAT!  She can help you find your right Jalapeno jelly or one of their other flavors.  

The flavors are as follows:

Jalapeno

Blackberry Jalapeno

Cherry Jalapeno
Cranberry Jalapeno (Just in time for  a Texas Holiday)
Honey Jalapeno
Lucifer Jalapeno (caution very hot)
Mango Jalapeno
Peach Jalapeno
Pineapple Jalapeno
Raspberry Jalapeno
They also have sweet fruits without jalapeno.

Apple Spice
Blueberry  (College Girl loves this)
Cactus Berry
Lemon  (My all time favorite)
Peach
Wild Plum  (Granny M's Favorite)

And ask her for her secret rib sauce...hint it has a kick to it!  Here is how I do it.
 

Texas Rib Topper
 

You can do this in your oven as well as on the smoker. Take a rack of spare ribs and rub with BBQ Rub of your choice or making and put on the smoker. Smoke the ribs at 225 for about 3 hours. Take about 6 oz of Ranch Hand Jalapeno Jelly and liberally coat the ribs. Wrap in foil and cook for approx 1 hour at same temperature. Then pull ribs and remove foil and let stand for about 45 minutes on smoker to firm up. Cut and serve.
And Ranch Hand Jellies is giving away one jar of the flavor of your choice to a lucky reader.  All you have to do is first off comment on your favorite flavor of jelly.  Look at the list of the ones they have above.  Next, well a extra if your a GFC with me!  I will give 5 extra entries for each jar of jelly you purchase from Ranch Hand Jellies (aka call Linda).  Make sure she knows you are ordering from Crazed Mind so she can tell me how many jars you ordered.  Then we can get the correct count for your entries.  You can also come back and leave 5 comments for each jar you purchase too.  I will match up your comments to Linda's sales.  Make sure I have your email so I can let the lucky winner know too!  Good Luck!

College Girl's Stocking Stuffer

Y'all know that College Girl is my #1 priority. That is just how us moms are. So your not surprised that her health is something I worry over. Well, today I have the best stocking stuffer ever for her. It sure beats the heck out of the old toothbrush and toothpaste one.
MyClyns is a germ protection spray that kills 99.99% of MRSA and other germs. And since College Girl is a theater major she is always around people talking in her face. I mean really talking, spewing germs everywhere. These folks never take a sick day as it means the production would ground to a halting crawl. So sick or not they come to practice and work around being ill.
Now that MyClyns is available College Girl can go on to practice herself while feeling safe she will have added protection.

You see, you can spray MyClyns direct into your face. And it DOES NOT hurt, sting, burn, taste or anything. Just a lil wet. So someone sneezes on you...spray. Someone coughs all over....spray. Someone is spewing germs everywhere....well you get the idea. And you can get this at CVS for $7.99 to $9.99. So pop out to get your MyClyns for your stockings.

Oh and by the by, you know I am not going to tout a good thing and not host a GIVEAWAY!
Yes, MyClyns is offering a giveaway for you too. I will be drawing after Christmas of course. But you can win your own pen. Just pop over to my germspray.com and then come back and tell me a goodie on the web site. (This is mandatory to enter.) You can also join them on their Facebook page. You can also have extra entries too. Additional entries can all be done with a separate comment for each for following, having my button, twittering, links on face book, sending others to the giveaway (they have to credit you) and blogging about this great giveaway. Make sure that I can contact you some how in order to let you know if your the winner.

Softlips Stocking Stuffer Giveaway

Yes we also have to see what we can put in for Stocking Stuffers. And my vote goes to Softlips new winter flavors.

I love having a tube or two available in my purse, car and desk so my lips are not chapped during the winter. And of course we all enjoy the yummy flavors. Well now we can enjoy Sugar & Spice, Sugar Plum Berry (both new for 2009) and the previous Winter Mint and Sugar Cookie flavors.
These are quick and inexpensive lil tubes of love to pop into the stocking. I know that you can pick them up at Target and Walgreens. And at only $2.99 to $3.99 for a dual-stick pack, they are quite affordable.

I was thrilled to receive all 4 new flavors thanks to Robin Leedy & Associates. But you can get yours too! How, well how about a giveaway? Yes they are willing to share with you too. So here is how you can also get your stocking stuffers. All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me which of the new flavors you would like to try. The winner will receive all of the new winter edition of Softlips. Tell me something you found interesting there. (This is mandatory to enter.) You can also join in on Facebook and become a fan of Softlips. You can also have extra entries too. Additional entries can all be done with a separate comment for each for following, having my button, twittering, links on face book, sending others to the giveaway (they have to credit you) and blogging about this great giveaway. Make sure that I can contact you some how in order to let you know if your the winner.

DIDYANO?

I was so happy when I opened my mailbox this last week. Why? Well, because Timothy D Thomas sent me his newest flip book of DIDYANO?
Yes, like above. All signed by him and full of great illustrations. He is a talented artist and author from Florida and has helped out there with state wide campaigns to help protect the wildlife.

Well, now I am going to be able to share this great book with Miss Emma and our two newest lil ladies to join in, Miss Lilly and Miss Shyla. These lil ladies will love the bright paintings in the DIDYANO? book. But, I am waiting to hear the oldest two repeat all the fun facts.

One the first side, DIDYANO? ZOOS, we find out that each group of animals have a different name for their group. Like a parade of elephants or a crash of rhinos. Sounds like a circus right there. And then each page is filled with fun facts about each type of animal. The a fore mentioned elephants have four knees but can not jump. Oh, I understand that, my knees can't bear the brunt of my weight either.

But when you finish the first half of the book you then flip it over and start all over again. Now we are on DIDYANO? AQUARIUMS. Here we learn about a shiver of sharks and that many odd things have been found in their tummys. And my ever favorite huddle of penguins and that they they can dive 1,700 feet underwater.

Of course you can see this is on my gift guide for my grandbabes too! I am a great fan of reading. And sharing that love with children is a passion of mine. I am so thankful to Timothy Thomas for creating this wonderful, fun and informative book for me to share with my grandbabes and babysitting girls.