Bath & Body Works Semi-Annual Sale

Bath & Body Works is having their Semi-Annual Sale. I went last night with a friend (and without Connor). Here's my haul:

Back left: 2 Charmed Life Triple Moisture Body Creams, True Blue Spa Tahiti Sweetie Body Lotion, 2 Vanilla Berry Sorbet anti-bacterial soaps, Fresh Lime Basil foaming soap, 2 Vanilla Bean Noel Pocket Bacs

Back right: Rio Rumberry body lotion mini, Aruba Coconut body lotion mini, 2 Kitchen Lemon anti-bacterial soaps, Caribbean Escape anti-bacterial soap, Coconut Lime Verbena anti-bacterial soap

Front l-r: Black Raspberry Vanilla triple moisture body cream, purple bath poof, Sun Ripened Raspberry body lotion, Exotic Coconut body lotion, 2 pairs pink shea socks, Wallflowers 2 pk Creamy Nutmeg, Warm Vanilla Sugar triple moisture shower cream, blue bath poof

Total $59, retail $159. I had the $10 off $40 coupon, but she took off 15% instead, which worked out better. I had to ask for the socks. They found one bag in the back. They brought out boxes while we were there so we got to "help" and that's where I found the Vanilla Berry Sorbet and Fresh Lime Basil.

If you're not familiar with this sale, certain items are 50-75% off, some body creams/shower gels are $3, and other items are on sale. This sale runs until January 15th and coupons can be found online.

Remembering Grandma

Last Monday, my Grandma passed away. She was 91 years old and had been diagnosed with cancer in February. Her wake/service was on Thursday. We weren't quite sure what to tell Connor. We didn't want to tell him she was sleeping because he wakes Jon up on the weekends. I didn't want him to try to wake her up and get scared. He seemed to understand something was different. He was fairly well behaved. He didn't sit still for most of the pastor's talk, but that's ok because Grandma always said he didn't have a "sitter". When we left, he said "Bye Grandma, I love you." and laid his head on my shoulder and sighed.

This woman was incredible. She raised two children on her own after her husband passed, not an easy thing to do in the 60's. She raised me and was an excellent role model. I'm glad she lived long enough to see me graduate college, get married and start a family. She adored Connor and he adored her. We had a good relationship and I have no regrets.

I miss you and love you Grandma!

BabyCakes Cupcake Maker: Breakfast Sausage Muffins

Ok, so I'm on a roll with this Cupcake Maker!

I am always looking for different things to try for breakfast. I found this recipeon Betty Crocker and modified it a bit.

Sausage Mixture
3/4 lb ground pork breakfast sausage
(I used Bob Evans Maple Sausage)
4 oz diced fresh mushrooms
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Baking Mixture
1 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1 cup milk
4 eggs

In 10-inch skillet, cook sausage and mushrooms over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Cool 5 minutes; stir in salt, pepper and cheese.

In medium bowl, stir baking mixture ingredients with whisk or fork until blended. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoon baking mixture into each muffin cup. Spoon 1 tablespoon of sausage mixture on top of baking mixture.

Bake in BabyCakes CupCake Maker for 5-7 minutes. Check with a toothpick. Carefully remove and let cool for a few minutes before serving.

I got almost 30 out of this mix. They aren't quite muffins, more like fluffy egg cups. They are tasty plain, or dipped in ketchup or maple syrup. I plan on freezing some of these for later.

* I did not put in the onions from the original recipe because 1. I didn't have any and 2. I didn't want to overload the cups. I bet the onion and maybe some green or red bell pepper would be good in these. Maybe even green chilis and a different sausage.

First Snow!

It's December 9th and we just had our first real snow. Unusual for this part of Northwest Indiana! We got just under an inch. This was the first time the girls had seen snow and it was hysterical! Normally, they are clucking at me once they hear me coming and then race out of the coop once the door opens. They were quiet this morning. When I opened the door, they started to come out, then quickly retreated :)

And they took turns looking outside. I was laughing too hard to put their ladder in place :)

Goldie was giving me funny looks...

And flew to my shoe...

Took a bold step onto the snow...

And back onto my other shoe...



Now this is quite unusual for this little girl. She is my flighty one. For her to sit on my shoe for 15 minutes was quite brave of her.

Then Ruby decided she wanted out. She started eyeing me too and I told her that I am NOT a perch and to not even think about it.

And flew to the sawhorse perch to survey the snow.

Finally, Lace came out and tried to push Goldie off my shoe. She wasn't in the sharing mood.

Lace discovered the scratch and mealworms, which brought the other two running.

They better get used to this! We're going to have much more!

Product Review: BabyCakes Cupcake Maker

I recently discovered an awesome blog Love From The Oven. She introduced me to the BabyCakes Cupcake Maker. I did some more research and just had to have one. And the Cake Pop Maker, but that review will come later, haven't tried it out yet.

I went to Meijer yesterday and picked up the Cupcake Maker, on sale for $24.99 and used Santa Bucks to get an additional $4 off. I had to try it out right away. Well, once the boy went down for a nap.

Isn't it cute? Pink!!

For the first batch, I used the directions on the booklet for a cake mix. It takes half a cake mix. I used Duncan Hines (I always use Duncan Hines) Dark Chocolate Fudge. I had never tried this flavor before. It made 23 adorable cupcakes. It's going to take some practice to get them out though. I just kind of rolled them out onto a towel, then carefully moved to a cooling rack. I used their vanilla buttercream recipe to fill and frost. Not the prettiest frosting job I've done, but I was tired and just wanted to get it done :)

For the second batch, I used two packages of Martha White's Blueberry Cheesecake Muffin mix. I. Love. These. The mini size is perfect. The two packages (well, pouches really) made about 24. The lighter ones weren't filled as much as the browned ones, so they didn't touch the top. Didn't affect the taste though! Most of these went into the freezer.

There are lots of other things you can do with this Cupcake Maker. You can do bread rolls, fruit pies, savory pies, cheesecake, brownies, all sorts of appetizers, and much much more.

Update: I made crescent rolls to go with tonight's dinner! I took a roll of Pillsbury crescent rolls, cut them into 10 discs and put them in the Cupcake Maker for about 6 minutes. Turned out really good!

(I don't know why Blogger is yet again turning pictures on their side. I can't figure out how to fix it...)

You can find your own BabyCakes Cupcake Maker at most major retailers or online at The BabyCakes Shop.


* I was not compensated in any way for this product review. I wanted to try this product and purchased it on my own.

Updates

I'm sorry I haven't been updating too much lately. I've been busy with Lindt Chocolate RSVP vendor events and parties, house cleaning and Thanksgiving prep.

For Thanksgiving, it was just Jon, Connor, myself and two friends. We had a wonderful time with good company and great food. It was nice to have a stress-free Thanksgiving for once.

I did some Black Friday shopping. I was at Meijer at 4:25 am (opened at 4 am) for Wii Just Dance 3 for $19.99 and it was already sold out. I did get Biggest Loser Challenge for $10.99 ($10 off) and started that two days ago. Later on, Connor and I went to Petsmart and I let him pick out some new fish. He did well, he picked out 4 silver Mollies and 4 Sunburst Platys. I also picked up a new bed for Madison. I did end up getting Just Dance 3 at Target on Sunday for $30 off using gift cards.

Saturday, we had dinner with Jon's family including relatives in from South Carolina. We all had a good time!

I have three parties, two vendor events and one meeting in the first two weeks of December and then I am done until after Christmas! I already have one party booked for January and one for February. Yay!

Truths For Mature Humans

This was too cute (and true) not to repost!

Truths For Mature Humans

1. I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I’m pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don’t want to have to restart my collection…again.

13. I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. “Do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this – ever.

15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? **** it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn’t answer? Drop the phone and run away?

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

17. I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

20. I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.

21. Sometimes, I’ll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

22. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text. (please do not text and drive, it is not worth the risk)

24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

25. How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear or understand a word they said?

26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

28. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?

29. There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

30. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists.

31. Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

32. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey – but I’d bet my *** everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time

BzzAgent Fekkai Shampoo and Conditioner Review

As most of you know, I am a BzzAgent with www.bzzagent.com . It's a great program where you sign up, answer a few questions and then start getting products to try for free! You pass out samples or coupons and then post reviews. I've gotten so many products for free!

The lastest was 8 oz Fekkai Glossing shampoo and conditioner, samples of Fekkai glossing cream, one sample of Fekkai shampoo and conditioner for colored hair and a dvd. Now, I don't do much with my hair and I have well water. I do a lot of ponytails in the summer and end up with broken hair on the top which is quite hard to deal with. I've been using the glossing shampoo and conditioner exclusively for a few weeks now and it's made my hair stronger, smoother and shinier. I still have some broken pieces, and will until it grows out, but not nearly as many. The glossing cream adds extra shine and smoothness without being heavy or oily. Oh, and the smell of the shampoo and conditioner is amazing!

While this is a more expensive product than I would usually use (around $25 for each 8 oz bottle), you don't use a lot of it so it lasts. I was surprised to find out that CVS and Target carry it, as well as many online retailers. I will be purchasing it!

Only 10 Days Late...

Halloween pics!
Banana bread muffins

Connor was Simba from the Lion King

He did much better this year.

"Connor got some! I got some!"

Early Christmas!

Christmas has come early for Connor! He got this last night as an early Christmas present from Grandma B! It's pretty neat. It has 2 speeds and reverse. The second speed is disabled for now. It goes fast enough in the first speed... It did well in the pasture! So sorry for the wind, I have no clue how to add music, etc.

Facebook

So one of the trends on Facebook lately has been to post pictures with words/quotes. Some are stupid, some are downright funny and some just make you think.

Updates

Our Chick-fil-a opened last week! We went for opening night. CFA is a big deal in this house. My husband grew up eating it in Georgia. It's a southern chicken fast-food chain, but they are one of the healthiest fast-food places. They were extremely busy, but very well organized. We got our food within 5 minutes of walking in the door. I went back the next day and the drive-up was wrapped around the building twice. I went today to pick up lunch, and it's still wrapped around the building twice... They've been open for 8 days and still have to have someone directing traffic. That's awesome. You don't see that with a McDonald's opening! I forgot my camera at home, but got these after:

I am now an independent consultant with Lindt Chocolate R.S.V.P. Lindt has been making premium chocolate for over 165 years. Here is a pic from my Grand Opening Party last weekend:

Connor had fun with the chocolate tasting :) I also served chocolate fondue, but did not get a picture of it. I've got parties booked and quite a few vendor events lined up next month.

My First Egg!

My first! Laid yesterday. I locked them up last night in the dark and somehow didn't step on it. I found it this morning before I let them out. I'm assuming it's from my Rhode Island Red, Ruby, who was hatched on Mother's Day... so she's what, 22 weeks? I found another egg on their perch, but it was a soft shell and was cracked. I don't know if she's just been busy, or if one of my other two are laying. One is a Brahma, one a Buff Orp, both supposed to be a month older than the RIR, but I think the Buff Orp is younger. She's just now not sounding like a baby chick.

Pics!

Our newest additions... a Red Haven peach tree and Bing cherry tree. I will need to get another sweet cherry later on to pollinate the Bing. I'd like to get apple trees also.

Connor loves to play on the tractor with Daddy!

And chickens!

More Canning!

We went to the local apple orchard with my mother-in-law and niece last weekend. Connor and Kate had fun playing in the petting zoo and riding the Moo Train. It's a tractor pulled ride made from plastic barrels painted to look like cows. Connor loves anything train/tractor and had a blast.

We picked apples, which I don't think I've ever done before. Galas, Jonathan and Golden Delicious. Honey Crisps are technically done, but we found a few good ones on the ground. I picked 11 lbs of apples... It's amazing how good an apple tastes right off the tree. I love that they tell you to try them right there in the orchard. Connor ate at least two apples.

I made 4 1/2 12oz jars of caramel apple jam, 2 12oz jars of spiced applesauce and 2 12oz jars of sweetened applesauce. I still have 8 apples left. I'm probably going to make more sweetened applesauce. We plan on going back in October for the next round of apples. They have some kinds I've never heard of that will be ready then - Shizuka, Sundance, and others.

I think I'm hooked on canning. It's so rewarding to see the jars stacking up, knowing that I'm "putting up" for later on. We are considering buying three apple trees next spring. I'd like to get a few blackberry bushes too.

I found a bread recipe and am planning on baking all of our bread now. It tastes so much better than the store bought and I don't have to worry about high fructose corn syrup etc.

Adventures in Canning

Ok, so my garden bombed this year. The tomatoes were taken over by weeds. The bell peppers have finally started to set... see?

It looks like I have an ivory and a green in this pot.

One of my good friends gifted me some beautiful cherry tomatoes:

and plum tomatoes. I used the plum tomatoes and the few from my grandma to make Bell Fiesta Salsa last night:

Now... this was my second attempt at canning. I do not have a canning pot. These two jars are pints and are now in the fridge... I realized that the pot was going to be too short too late. The water is supposed to cover the top at least an inch or so, it was maybe half an inch. I didn't want to take the risk and put them in the fridge after they cooled. The lids didn't pop, but the buttons were down. Oh well, I know it will get eaten!

I went out today to get Red Haven peaches for jam, completely forgot the lemon juice. I'll pick it up on Thursday along with a half bushel of tomatoes for bbq sauce and more salsa. In half pint jars this time...

Holiday Cleaning Plan

Last year, I discovered the Holiday Grand Plan. It's an 18 week plan to get organized by Christmas. There is another plan that is for other cleaning and can be combined with the Holiday Grand Plan. I didn't do any of it last year and just remembered it today. It started August 28th, so I have some catching up to do. This year, I WILL do it. All of it.

Housecleaning is such a thorn for me. I hate cleaning, but do feel better (usually) when it's done. Right now, I have a sink full of dirty dishes but am using the excuse that I've had a cold all weekend. It'll get done before we go to bed tonight... I'm hoping that following a set plan like this will get me into more of a routine. They have plans for the rest of the year too, which is nice. I've had a cleaning chart on the fridge for a few years now, and it's hardly ever followed. My husband agreed to chickens on the condition that I improve my housekeeping... time to get working.

Visit to Fair Oaks Farm

Yesterday, we visited Fair Oaks Farm in Fair Oaks, IN for the first time! It is one of the largest dairy farms in the US.

They have a neat play area for the kids:

And a birthing barn where we saw a newborn calf and another being born:

The last pic is the calf that was on the left. The calves are taken from their mothers after an hour or so. They are bottle fed because otherwise, there wouldn't be any milk for the dairy. The mother goes to the milking line.

Then we took a bus to the milking barns. This is the milking parlor:

They have 10 farms with about 3,000 cows at each farm. They milk about 2,800 cows three times/day. That's a lot of milk. This parlor can milk 72 cows at one time and runs 21 hours/day.

We finished the day with yummy grilled cheese in the cheese barn and milk shakes :) We sampled 4 year old cheddar cheese, dill Havarti and sweet Swiss. The cheddar was a bit overpowering, the Havarti was wonderful and I still don't like Swiss. We will be going back sometime, and when we do, I'm bringing a cooler for some cheese :)