Book Review Alycat and the Thursday Dessert Day

 * I was given this book to review. Opinions are my own. Company is not paying me to say these things*

Christmas is coming up and I have this great book that I think your kids would enjoy! It is called Alycat and the Thursday Dessert Day by Alysson Foti Bourque.  My kids loved this book and they keep wanting to read it over and over again.

A blurb from the book:

"When Alycat’s daydreaming causes her to miss out on Dessert Day at school, she will need to rely on her imagination to satisfy her sweet tooth! With the help of her best friend Spotty, she discovers trying new things can lead to fun adventures and tasty inventions!

The Alycat series encourages readers to celebrate the joy, innocence, and fearlessness of being a kid, while learning a valuable lesson in the end. Alycat and the Thursday Dessert Day is the first book of the Alycat Series."

Author Info:

Alysson Foti Bourque is the award-winning author of the Rhyme or Reason Travel series, and the Alycat series. Alysson received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and a law degree from Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge. 

After practicing law for six years, Alysson traded in writing trial briefs for writing children’s books. When Alysson is not writing stories for her children, she takes pride in working in her garden, caring for her pets, serving her community, and volunteering at her children’s school. She believes there is an Alycat in all of us, encouraging our imaginations to guide us to new opportunities and adventures.

Alysson is a Mom’s Choice Awards Recipient for her book, Alycat and the Thursday Dessert Day!

Website: http://www.alyssonfotibourque.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlyssonFBourque

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alyssonfotibourque

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15100933.Alysson_Foti_Bourque

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Barleans Omega Swirl Chocolate Cookies

All opinions are of my own! I was given these ingredients to try on my own.  

I was sent Barleans Chocolate Omega Swirl and I decided to add it to my chocolate cookies. It gave it a great flavor and its also healthy!!! This is a super easy recipe but really good :-)

1/2 C Butter

1/2 C Brown Sugar

1/4 C Granulated Sugar

1 Egg

2 Tsp Vanilla

1 C flour

1/4 C Cocoa Powder

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/8 Tsp Salt

1/4 C Hershey's Syrup

1/3 C Omega Swirl Chocolate from Barlean's

Mix all ingredients in a bowl till combined. Then cook on  baking sheet for 10 minutes. Do not cook them longer as they will get really hard. Let cool and then enjoy!!!

Caveman Coffee Cocoa Butter- Caramel Pretzel Fudged up Fudge

The opinions are of my own. Caveman Coffee sent me these products in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own, 

I was sent this Cocoa Butter from Caveman Coffee. So I have created this Salted Caramel Pretzel Fudged Up Fudge. It was suppose to be real fudge but it tastes like fudge. Just doesn't look like fudge. 

Ingredients:

Bottom Layer:

Crusted up pretzels

2nd Layer:

1 bag of dark chocolate chips

1 can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 Chunks of Cocoa Butter

3rd Layer:

2 C Sugar

1/2 C Heavy Cream

1 Tsp Salt

In a pan crush up pretzel and layer it. Then in a pan melt your chocolate chips, cocoa butter condensed milk. Pour over top of pretzels. Then in a pan  melt down your sugar stirring a lot. Once its melted and starting to turn brown add in your heavy cream and salt. Set aside to let it cool down. In the meantime set your fudge in the fridge while your caramel cools off. Once its cooled off get out your fudge and pour the salted caramel over the top. Then put back in the fridge to cool off. Top with remaining whole pretzels. Eat and enjoy!!!

#Choctoberfest Begins!

 

 Today is one of my favorite days of the year... because it is the first day of #Choctoberfest 2016! #Choctoberfest is a virtual event put together by The PinterTest Kitchen. Bloggers from around the world will be posting their favorite chocolate recipes, and you’ll get a chance to win some awesome prizes. What’s not to love? Thank you to the sponsors who make #Choctoberfest possible! This year, Imperial Sugar is back as our Gold Sponsor. They have been a trusted name in kitchens since 1843, and their website is home to thousands of sweet recipes tested in the Imperial Sugar Kitchen. You can find Imperial Sugar on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube, or join their Sweet Community so you can share your own recipes, save recipes to a virtual inbox, print Imperial Sugar coupons, and connect with other sugar lovers. Imperial Sugar and our silver sponsors have banded together to offer a huge #Choctoberfest prize pack, which you can enter to win below! One lucky winner will be chosen at random to receive the following:

• From our Gold Sponsor Imperial Sugar: 1 case of granulated sugar (40 pounds), 1 case of brown sugar (24 pounds), 1 case of dark brown sugar (24 pounds), 1 case of powdered sugar (24 pounds bags), and an Imperial Sugar red ruffle apron
• From our Silver Sponsor Nature Nate's: 32 oz. Raw & Unfiltered Honey bottle, Honey Syrup, Honey Packets, a Nature Nate’s T-shirt, various kitchen supplies, and $50 Amazon gift card
• From our Silver Sponsor Barlean's:16 oz Barlean’s Butter-Flavored Coconut Oil, 9.52 oz canister of Chocolate Silk Greens, and 8oz bottle of Essential Women Omega-Swirl Chocolate Mint

From our Silver Sponsor Caveman Coffee: 1 Bag of Coffee (you choice of blacklisted or sabertooth), 1 coconut MCT oil, and 1 Cacao Butter

From #Choctoberfest blog hosts The PinterTest Kitchen: 1 specialty chocolate gift pack (your choice of dark or milk chocolate), 1 tin (14 ounces) drinking chocolate, and Divine's Fair Trade Gift Set

Enter now to win our #Choctoberfest 2016 prize pack! We'll be picking a winner at random winner on Saturday, Oct. 22, so enter by next Friday to make sure your name is in the drawing: a Rafflecopter giveaway Here's a list of all of the bloggers participating in #Choctoberfest 2016. Visit any of their blogs to get delicious chocolate recipes throughout the week: The PinterTest Kitchen • 2 Cookin’ Mamas • A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures • addicted 2 recipes • Amy’s Cooking Adventures • An Affair From The Heart • Balancing Motherhood • Body Rebooted • Bottom Left of the Mitten • By the Pounds • Canning and Cooking at Home • Coconut & Lime • Cook with 5 Kids • Cook's Hideout • Cookaholic Wife • Cooking with Carlee • CopyKat Recipes • Cricket's Confections • Crumbs in my Mustachio • Elisabeth Jean • Fairyburger • Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice • Family Around the Table • Fantastical Sharing of Recipes • Feed Your Soul Too • Feeding Big • Frankly Entertaining • Full Belly Sisters • Get the Good Stuff • Grumpy’s Honeybunch • Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks • Hostess At Heart • Ink and Sugar • Jane’s Adventures in Dinner • Join Us, Pull Up a Chair • Karen's Kitchen Adventures • Kate's Recipe Box • Kudos Kitchen by Renee • Kylee Cooks • Letz Eat • Life Currents • Life on Food • Making Miracles • Monica's Table • Moore or Less Cooking Food Blog • My Catholic Kitchen • My Gluten Free Miami • Our Good Life • Palatable Pastime • Restless Chipotle • Seduction in The Kitchen • Sew You Think You Can Cook • Simple Food 365 • Southern With A Twist • Sumptuous Spoonfuls • Take Two Tapas • Tampa Cake Girl • Teaspoon of Goodness • That Recipe • The Crumby Cupcake • The Flavourista • The Food Hunter's Guide To Cuisine • The Freshman Cook • The Pajama Chef • The Redhead Baker • The Spiffy Cookie • Tramplingrose • Wildflour's Cottage Kitchen • Zesty South Indian Kitchen
 I'm looking forward to seeing all of the yummy recipes posted on these blogs. Check them out throughout the week and don't forget to follow our sponsors and bloggers using the Rafflecopter giveaway widget above for your chance to win our sweet prize pack. Are you a fellow food blogger who wants to get involved with events like #Choctoberfest? Sign up here to get notifications when they happen from The PinterTest Kitchen.

Spinach Cheddar Rolls

My take on a savory version of the classic Cinnamon Rolls

Spinach and Cheddar Rolls

Dough:

1 1/2 C WARM NOT HOT Water

2 1/4 tsp Yeast

1 T sugar

2 Tsp Olive Oil

3 Cups Flour

1/4 Tsp Salt 

Filling:

 9 leaves of Fresh Spinach

1/2 Stick softened butter

1 1/2 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 packet of Ranch dressing mix

1 C Grated Parm 

In a mixing bowl put in your warm water, yeast and sugar. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Then put in your olive oil, flour and salt. Mix till it forms a ball. Put it in a greased bowl and let it rise for an hour.  When its doubled in size take it out and roll it  out. Spread your softened butter and your ranch parm mix. Then place your spinach leaves and sprinkle cheddar cheese. Next roll it up tightly. Slice it into slices and place in a greased baking dish. Sprinkle more of the ranch parm mix. Put it in the oven at 400 till golden Then bake till almost done. Spread with butter on top and bake it for a few minutes longer. Let it cool. Eat and enjoy!

Strawberry No Churn Ice Cream #Dole

What goes great with all that holiday cake?? Homemade ice cream and you do not even need a ice cream maker!!! 

1 package of Frozen Dole Strawberries

In a pan put in the strawberries with just a tsp of sugar. Cook down. Then blend till semi smooth. Then set aside. 

Ice Cream Mix:

1 pint Heavy Cream

1 can of Condensed Milk

1 Tsp Vanilla

1T of Sugar 

In a bowl whip your heavy cream till its stiff. Then fold in the condensed milk, sugar and vanilla. Then fold in strawberry mixture. Put in a freezer container and freeze over night!!! Eat and enjoy!!

Homemade Salisbury Steak

(This picture wasn't the greatest sorry!)

Homemade Salisbury Steaks

(Actually created by my mom) 

Salisbury Steaks:

Ground beef

1/2 C oats 

1/2 C Ketchup

3 T  Garlic

Salt

Pepper

1 egg

Mix it up and make into small oval patties. Cook on low in a skillet till cooked, then turn up higher to brown both sides. Set on a paper towel. 

Gravy

(Its super easy)

2 packets of Herb Brown Gravy From McCormick

2 T Corn Starch(making it thick)

Make according to packets and add corn starch and whisk till it thickens

Mashed Potatoes

Cube potatoes 

1/2 Stick of butter

1/2 C Milk

Boil potatoes, drain. Then add butter and milk. Mix till smooth. 

Now put a layer of mashed potatoes on top, then the salsibury steak, then the gravy. Eat and enjoy!!!

 

Boil potatoes