I love receiving homemade gifts any time of year, but most especially on Mother’s Day.  We are a family of traditions and one that I adore is having the kids serve me breakfast they made themselves. When they were little, Daddy helped of course; but as they got older they wanted to take on more of the responsibility.  I’ve been served everything from toast with jam to chocolate covered strawberries. I know my daughters would love whipping up this simple Blueberry loaf recipe from celeb chef Zipora Einav for me. Baked goods make a perfect Mother’s Day gift!



Blueberry Loaf - a perfect homemade Mother’s Day gift:


Blueberry Loaf #recipe by chef Zipora


Imprint Comfort Mats Giveaway

by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, November 02, 2012

It's November finally! Which in our house means I can officially sing Christmas carols to my hearts content and my family won't roll their eyes at me! It also means I will be spending a lot of time on my feet in the kitchen. I enjoy cooking and baking, but my feet sure tell me about it at the end of the day.

That is why I am so excited to offer you my dear readers a chance to win 2 Imprint Comfort mats. I know you love cooking and baking too!



Welcome to the Imprint Mats Giveaway!

 
Imprint Comfort Mats are the only anti-fatigue mats tested and proven to significantly reduce overall fatigue and discomfort by up to 60%.For those of you with little one crawling around the floor.

 Imprint Cumulus9 Anti-Fatigue Comfort Mats are manufactured using proprietary eco9
technology that is environmentally friendly, non-toxic and is manufactured without the use of toxic, heavy metals.
 
Imprint Mats also have edges that will never curl. With their stay flat memory your mats will stay flat!
Keep in mind that kitchens are not the only room in the house that could use comfort mats! These would also work great in laundry rooms or any room you are doing a lot of standing in.
 
Imprint Comfort mats come with a 7-year warranty and a 100% satisfaction guarantee to ensure the mats will keep looking and feeling good for years to come.

You can choose from four sizes for home use:
Standard 20" x 36"
Runner 20"x 72"
Island Area 26" x 48"
Island Runner 26" x 72"

Prices range from $70 to $150 depending on the style/color/size you would like. I have noticed most are on sale though right now :)
 
This event is hosted by Baby Costcutters. To read a full review of Imprint Mats click here.
If you would like to win a set of Imprint Comfort Mats just use the form below to enter!
One lucky winner will receive a 2 pcs 20 X 36 Imprint Mats {winner choice of color} $140 RV!
Open to the 48 US Continental States only from Nov 2 - Nov 16,2012, at 11:59pm est.
 
Good Luck!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may
differ from those of your own.  My WAHM Plan is not responsible for sponsor prize
shipment.

a Rafflecopter giveaway




Color of the month- July 2017 - All White

in , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, July 10, 2017
July is a hot and humid month here in the southeast so wearing breathable cotton clothing is a must and my go to color? All white. According to Farrow & Ball, the craftsmen in paint & paper:
“All White is exactly what it says! Unusually, it contains no other pigment except for white, creating the softest most sympathetic color without the colder blue undertones of a brilliant white.”  

Just look at this pretty All White room they share for this versatile color. 


source

Since I work at home, most of my lunches are eaten solo and mainly consist of either leftovers, or something quick and simple like yogurt and granola and a piece of fruit. However, yesterday my daughter and I decided to treat ourselves to a hearty lunch by making sourdough bacon pepper jack and cheddar cheese panini’s served with a warm bowl of tomato soup and I must say, the food and her company were a delightful change of pace! Another great thing about this lunch? We had tasty sourdough bread from the freezer to table in under 30 minutes.


Work at home Lunch Date:



sourdough bacon pepper jack and cheddar cheese panini’s served with a warm bowl of tomato soup

I’ve been making this no-egg drop cookie recipe for almost twenty years, so it's become a family favorite. I like to use dark chocolate chips this time of year to make the cookies extra special for my Valentine’s Day Sweethearts. I’m sharing the recipe with you today so you can bake up a batch without ever touching precious egg supplies.



Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies To Delight Your Sweethearts!




No Egg Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough


To say that it is an honor to review Barb Webb’s newest book on sustainable living is an understatement.  As an avid reader of her blog Rural Mom, I grew to love Barb’s quick wit and clever writing style years ago. 

Simply put- Barb teaches without every preaching. She is a pro-earth, sustainable living chick who is out to show all us modern ladies that this lifestyle can be sexy in her newest book: Getting Laid- Everything you need to know about raising chickens, gardening and preserving. I received a digital copy of this book to share my thoughts with you today. All opinions are my own. 

chickens, gardening, preserving, sustainable living


About Getting Laid from Amazon:

"Sustainable living boasts no boundaries. You don't need massive amounts of acreage or even a fenced-in backyard. We may not be 100 percent sustainable in our lifestyle, but we can become better in-tune with our environment and conscientious of our actions. Like all aspects of life, it's about balance, finding ways to live a greener, cleaner life within the parameters of your current lifestyle. 
Top blogger for country living, Rural Mom, shows us the (actually very easy) way to live a sustainable lifestyle without making ourselves crazy in the process."


My thoughts:

Reading this book was fun, enlightening and motivating. Barb says that sustainable living is not only practical, it’s doable! That our sustainable living mission is of the utmost importance to ourselves, our environment and future generations! 

Excerpt from Getting Laid:


In this ten chapter book chock full of helpful guides and tips Barb takes us by the hand and helps us understand:

How making one small change today and then another tomorrow can lead to a lighter, greener, sexier lifestyle.

Choose the correct chicken for our personality (I got raise chickens for eggs) and master the art of Chicken Zen by following Barb’s guides to caring for your chickens.

What organic gardening means and how to get started with step by step guides on choosing plants, caring/watering/harvesting and preserving.

And so much more!


I spent a lot of time in Barb’s gardening chapters. I loved her quick Chick Tips like this one: 

"For sweeter tomatoes, sprinkle baking soda around the base of the tomato plant once a week prior to watering. The baking soda lowers acidity in the soil, which translates to plump, sweet tomatoes on the vine."

I also found her Gardening Themes Guide helpful.  She shows you how to plant and grow by culinary themes like an Irish or Italian garden. 

I’ve starred and highlighted so many sections of Getting Laid for later reference! Chapters on, composting with worms and how to make an indoor Vermicomposter and canning were of special interest to my husband (worms) and canning (me).


Dotted throughout this book are over 100 mouthwatering recipes!  Everything from an Old World Irish Mince meat pies to a delightful sounding Cucumber and Green Bean Salad our showcased. 


Excerpt from Getting Laid:



I couldn’t help but think of my parents and my grandparents while reading and in some cases re-reading the pages of this guide book. I had the privilege of growing up in a family that loves the earth and what it provides us. 

My family always had large gardens and one of my earliest and fondest memories with my Dad was working in the garden until the Whippoorwills called. That was my cue that dusk was at hand and it was time for me to put down my hoe or spade and go in for the night. 

Reading Barb’s words, feeling her sentiments, so aligned with mine- made me long for a cup of tea at my Grandmothers table once more, where I could share this book with her and listen to her stories and now, as an adult, share a few of my own tales.  


If you’ve ever longed for simpler days, if you’ve ever wished you could have lived like your grandparents did- gardening/hunting/preserving/thriving – this book is for you


You can purchase a copy for yourself by visiting Amazon. This book would make a perfect gift for friends and family who have expressed a desire to raise chickens, garden or live a more sustainable lifestyle.


You can learn more about the author, Barb Webb by visiting her author’s website Sustainable Chick. You can also join us on our sustainable living journey by visiting Rural Mom owned by the incomparable Barb Webb. 

It has been my privilege to work on Rural Mom for close to a year; first as a regular columnist and now as the assistant editor. I’ll be joining the Rural Mom team more often this summer so I hope to see you there.


Please share in comments: Do you raise, or want to raise chickens? If so, what kind?

Holidays- Winter Break Boredom Buster

in , , , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, November 30, 2012


The countdowns have begun; we are decorating, baking and making things merry and bright.

This truly is The Most Wonderful Time of the year, full of hope and peace and goodwill toward men and boredom. Wait, boredom shouldn’t be in my happy moment, but we Moms know once the novelty of new gizmos wears off we had better have some boredom busters up our sleeves to get us through school break and bad weather days.

Here is a product sure to please your elves and you’ll have some fun too! Check out Colortime Crafts and Markers.
 


Here is more about Colortime:
Since 1990, over 5 million children and adults have loved creating t-shirts, pillowcases, backpacks, tote bags, bandanas, and more for parties, slumber parties, and scout meetings with our permanent fabric markers. We have provided our customers the opportunity to entertain their guests with a creative activity that becomes a permanent keepsake. Also, we are a licensed vendor of the Girl Scouts of America. Check out our wholesale program, great for your organizations.

We also offer free downloadable coloring pages (
http://www.colortime.com/Free-Coloring-Pages-c64.html) and a "Birthday Club" (http://www.colortime.com/Birthday-Club-c85.html) with special incentives. 
 
 
 
 Want to save? Sure you do!
 
Get 15% off all orders Promo Code: 15USFG when you check out at colortime.com
 
I think we will do some tote bags. If you take advantage of this offer, please stop back by and tell me what you picked.
 
Happy, Merry Holidays to you and yours!
 

 


Happy first Friday of February friends! I’ve had a very productive week, which means most days I was eating lunch on the fly and grazing my way through the afternoon until I’d cook and eat a proper dinner. Do you know those kinds of busy days where you eat a hand full of almonds here, and an apple there? I decided today I was going to treat myself to a proper lunch, so I used the leftovers from last night and made a Roasted Red Pepper BLT Wraps for a quick lunch. It was so, so good! I want to share this simple lunch idea with you and give you a chance to win some wraps too.


Quick Lunch Wrap:

 


Roasted Red Pepper BLT Wraps

CuteKid Free Gallery Contest

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, November 02, 2011
It's November, one of my favorite months with all the cooking and baking and holiday prepping, but before we launch into full Holiday-ness, I wanted to let you know of a great contest .




 Enter those adorable Halloween Photos from now through Nov. 15, 2011.

 Send your friends & family the link you'll receive in an email once your photo is entered into the contest so they can vote for your cutie. The photo that receives the most votes wins a $500 Shopping Spree from Totsy, and 4 additional random photos will win great prizes. Go Enter today and good luck!

Please stop back by and share your link with us! Some readers may not have photos to enter, so they can vote for yours!






This post contains an affiliate link and I may receive compensation depending on readers participation.
We are eight weeks into the new school year and so far I’ve been able to offer up some pretty tasty lunchbox options for my teen daughters. I like to add something special to each lunch;  so I was pleased to try Nonni’s THINaddictives snacks free of charge for today’s post and giveaway. I loved these snacks as did my daughters! They were the perfect lunchbox treat!

My WAHM Plan: Nonni's THINaddictives #snacks, #giveaway

Nonni’sTHINaddictives come in three flavors- Cranberry Almond Thins, Pistachio Almond Thins and Cinnamon Raisin Thins.  Each has their own unique flavor, reminding my daughters and me of certain holidays throughout the year. For instance, the Cranberry Almond Thins make us all think of Christmas baking while the Pistachio Almond Thins bring to mind their delightful biscotti when I pair it with my mid- morning coffee.  These crunchy almond thin cookies are so tasty- even the pickiest eater is going to love them!



My WAHM Plan: Enjoy Nonni'sTHINaddictives in 3 flavors


Each box of Nonni’s THINaddictives has 6 servings of 3 almond cookies sealed in their own freshness packs which make them the perfect lunchbox add-on or after school snack. With these freshness packs, I find myself grabbing my daughter’s favorite flavors and just tossing them in my purse as I head out the door to pick them up from after school activities. 


My WAHM Plan: Nonni's THINaddictives snacks come in freshness packs

I can feel good about bringing them THINaddictives and water to eat as we drive home because these treats are healthy, averaging around 100 calories or less per pack, they are low-fat, low carb and contain 3 grams of protein per serving to help keep hunger away until dinner.

I invite you to learn more about the Nonni brand and all their products and special offers by visiting their website here and following along on Twitter and Facebook


Win it!

Would you like to try Nonni’s THINaddictives for free? Thanks to the generosity of Nonni’s 2 lucky readers will win the 3 boxes each. You’ll receive 1 box of Cranberry Almond Thins, Pistachio Almond Thins and Cinnamon Raisin Thins. Entering is easy using the Rafflecopter form below.  


Terms:
No purchase necessary to enter. Open to U.S. residents who are 18+ years or older. My WAHM Plan is not responsible for prize fulfillment. Winners will be notified by email used on entry form and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.  This giveaway is not associated with nor endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, or any other social channel.


Good Luck!




Disclosure:

My thanks to  Nonni for sending me free products to facilitate today's post and for hosting this giveaway. I didn't received monetary compensation for my thoughts, however, I only share content I feel will benefit my readers. I’m disclosing this in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

 Earlier this week, I found myself covering my plants due to a freeze warning in our area. I knew it was coming because I’d been reading the 2025 edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac, which states our last freeze date is April 15, 2025. If you’re ready to welcome spring gardening, read about The Old Farmer’s Almanac's three handy gardening books.


Spring Gardening Has Arrived!


3 handy books for spring gardening

Welcome to September readers! I know for most us in the United States it still feels like the dog days of summer; but I’m ready to jump back into my regular blog schedule now that the kids are back in school. With September comes a lot of prepping for fall fun and holidays, so it’s the perfect time for me to welcome back my weekly chore prompt.


This week’s chore is a pretty easy one in both time and effort, but be warned- you may get grossed out by what I’m about to show you. 

Are Your Spatulas really Clean?



You may think your spatulas are clean once you run them through the dishwasher, or hand- wash them, I know I did until recently when I was washing a spatula by hand and noticed I was able to pull the top from the handle.



Clean spatulas: My WAHM Plan




When I got it off, this is what I saw.





Dirty Spatulas: My WAHM Plan

Gross right?




Can you imagine cooking with that? No, of course you can’t and neither could I! I grabbed up all the spatulas I’d been using and started pulling the tops off. Some weren’t as bad as others, but none of them were spotless. Time to clean them!



How to deep Clean Spatulas:




Soaking spatulas in vinegar water to clean My WAHM Plan


  • Gather Spatulas
  • In large bowl or dishpan, mix one cup water and a half cup white vinegar
  • Pull tops off spatulas and place both dirty sections in water/vinegar solution
  • Soak for 30 minutes

  • Once they're done soaking, make sure the hole in the spatula top is clean as well. If running under warm water doesn’t dislodge remaining grime, take a bamboo skewer or butter knife, wrap a paper towel around the end and gently wipe around the hole until clean. Be careful not to stretch the hole or the handle may not stay secure.
  • Rinse both parts of spatulas again
  • Allow to air dry



Deep Clean Spatulas ready to use My WAHM Plan


Once your spatula parts are completely dry, reassemble and store as usual. Now you have deep clean spatulas just in time for fall baking and cooking. 



To keep your spatulas clean in the future, be sure to hand wash them after each use and take the top off to clean. If you don’t hand wash your spatulas, simply use my soaking method at least once a week and you’ll never have gross spatulas again.



Please share in comments: Is there an organizing/homemaking topic you’d like to see me cover here on the blog? Please let me know!

This may come as a surprise to some of you, but I love going to Home Depot! Especially with my husband. He knows all the local stores layouts like the back of his hand and can spot of great deal from a mile away. He waits for big ticket items like power tools to go on sale, much like I await furniture and home goods sales. Case in point, just last night, we were at Home Depot to purchase a new air compressor that was a pre-black Friday deal. While there, I started taking mental notes of other tools he was wishing he had. If shopping at Home Depot is on your radar this holiday season, my three tips to make the most of Black Friday shopping at The  Home Depot is for you.


Three tips to make the most of Black Friday shopping at Home Depot #ad


The excitement for the most wonderful day of the year is building all around my home. We’re busy wrapping gifts, mailing last minute cards and packages, baking more cookies and making memories along the way. This is such a happy time of year! Since this will be my last post before Christmas, I couldn’t think of a better way to say thank you for another great year, than hosting a giveaway for Yippee, a new streaming service for families. More info about the Yippee prize pack below.


Yippee has VeggieTales Christmas!

Yippee has VeggieTales Christmas #ad

Cherry Tomatoes Tasty Herb Roasted Bites

by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, October 26, 2012


All summer long my family and I have enjoyed the bounty of 2 Cherry Tomato plants. One, a yellow cherry was so sweet it was like candy and the other, a Christmas cherry bought for the girls was a tart, tangy bite of summer heaven.

We spent many a happy afternoon harvesting.  One for the basket, one for us. Is there anything better than popping a fresh from the vine, warmed by the sun cherry tomato right in your mouth? Nope, it is pure bliss I tell you!

But by the time the first part of October rolled around, I was looking for a way to preserve some of that heaven without having to buy or borrow a dehydrator. That’s when I came across a wonderful recipe posted on thetanglednest.com. I took her idea and like most recipes, I modified it to suit my needs.  Here’s what I did:
Rinse Cherry Tomatoes
Half
If desired you can scoop out the seeds with a small melon baller. (I opted not to do this step because there was hardly anything left by the time I got the seeds out.)
Spread them out cut side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper if you’ve got it on hand.
halved cherry tomatoes

 
Spoon Olive Oil/Herb Mix over tomatoes. (Recipe below).
Sprinkle with Sea Salt and a dusting of fresh black pepper.
 
salt peppered cherry tomatoes
 
The smell of the Olive Oil/Herb mix had my hubby asking me what I was making, and my daughter thought I was making my homemade Marinara sauce. That was before I had put these beauties in the oven, so be prepared for these tomaotes to go quickly when they come out of the oven!


Roast in a 300 degree oven for 30-45 minutes, or until colored & dry just a bit, not dehydrated. I baked mine for the full 45 minutes, checking every 5 minutes after 30 minutes. Don’t bake more than an hour.
 
herb and garlic bites


If you are lucky and have enough tomatoes on hand you can cool these and them pack them in freezer jars to save a bit of summer for later. I didn’t get that chance, but these tomatoes have a long refrigerator life, staying yummy for several days as we nibbled away on them.  These Tasty Herb Roasted Bites are an easy way to preserve your bounty.
Enjoy!
 
Olive Oil/Herb Mix Recipe:
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. chopped Thyme or Oregano or Basil or a combo.
Fresh black pepper to taste



This post is sponsored by Depend, Poise, Ensure, and Glucerna but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.


The countdown to the most wonderful time of the year has finally arrived! My fall and holiday baking season will truly begin now and requests for my family’s favorite pies, cobblers, loaves of bread and cookies coming in. I’ve already baked a Pumpkin Pie, brownies and a dozen cookies. While I love having sweet treats on hand, I want to be aware of my sugar intake and theirs. Some of my close family members had or have prediabetes and type 2 Diabetes, so I’ve learned the importance of being aware of your blood sugar levels throughout the day and how certain foods and drinks can help minimize blood sugar spikes now and throughout the holiday season. 


#ad Glucerna shakes can help maintain blood sugar levels #FamilyCaregivingatSC



When a representative for NAKANO Natural Rice Vinegar emailed me to see if I would like to receive a complimentary set of rice vinegar’s to review and host a giveaway, I immediately thought of my Grandmother in-law. This lovely woman utilized the healthy, healing powers of natural vinegar her whole life and passed her knowledge on to me when I married her grandson. With fond memories of her, I happily agreed to give NAKANO’s rice vinegar's a try. All opinions are my own. 

all natural, seasoned, no fat, rice vinegar's, cooking, recipe, healthy


NAKANO Natural Rice Vinegar invites us to Splash On! And be Daring, Bold and Delicious with their six varieties of all natural, no fat, low calorie, splash on rice vinegar's.

  • Original
  • Seasoned Original
  • Citrus
  • Roasted Garlic
  • Basil & Oregano
  • Mango


My husband and I were excited to see if these rice vinegar's tasted as good as they looked, so we held an informal taste test in our kitchen. With spoons in hand we sampled them right from the bottle. 


Our Thoughts:

All six flavors are pleasant tasting, not harsh or acid. As you can probably tell by their color, they are very light in flavor. Yes, they are still vinegar's, so you have to be a fan of that flavor profile; but these seasoned rice vinegar's were quite tasty straight from the bottle. Our favorites were the Citrus, Mango and Basil and Oregano.

I especially enjoyed the Basil and Oregano.  It has just the right amount of herb flavors, with a hint of brown sugar sweetness that I found to be a perfect replacement of my regular low-calorie salad dressing.

spinach, olives, Parmesan cheese,  Basil, Oregano, rice vinegar

I whipped up this quick spinach, olive and Parmesan cheese salad for lunch and it was delicious when paired with the Basil & Oregano rice vinegar and just a splash of olive oil!

Some other tasty ways to use these rice vinegar's are:

  • Splashing on grilled chicken
  • Replacing Mayo in potato salad
  • Dip for Onion rings
  • Adding a splash to snacks like trail mix

Yes, trail mix!


NAKANO has partnered with registered dietitian  Dawn Jackson Blatner, author of “The Flexitarian Diet”, to help us maintain our healthy lifestyle goals with simple swaps, like replacing unhealthy afternoon snacks with healthier alternatives. This is her Super food trail mix recipe.


trail mix, recipe, super food, easy, healthy,



Superfood Trail Mix:
Source:  Recipe created exclusively for Mizkan by: Dawn Jackson Blatner at dawnjacksonblatner.com.

Ingredients:
Makes 2 cups

1 tablespoon NAKANO Natural Rice Vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Dash cayenne pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1/2 cup raw almonds, chopped
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 cup puffed brown rice cereal
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup raisins


Directions:

In a small bowl, mix NAKANO Natural Rice Vinegar, honey, salt and cayenne. In a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat, warm oil and add the vinegar mix, almonds and chia seeds. 

Cook for 6 minutes, stirring constantly, until all excess liquid is gone. Pour onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and let cool in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to set. Toss almonds with brown rice cereal, pumpkin seeds, and raisins.

Nutrition:  (1/4 cup): 110 calories, 6g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g cholesterol, 60mg sodium, 12g carbs, 2g fiber, 6g sugar, 3g protein



I invite you to learn more about NAKANO by visiting their website, where you’ll find coupons, cooking videos, recipes and a store locator.  


Win it!


One lucky reader will win this set of  six NAKANO Natural Rice Vinegar's!


rice vinegar, seasoned, healthy, good

Entering is easy using the Rafflecopter form below. No purchase necessary to win. Open to U.S. residents 18+ years. My WAHM Plan not responsible for prize fulfillment. This contest is not associated with or endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram or any other social channel. 





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