Giveaway Jingle Link Up Your Giveaway Here

You’ve got a giveaway, I want to know about it! Oh, and if you list your giveaway on Mom Start facebook page then I will try to remember to tweet it out to all of my twitter followers. If you could link directly to the giveaway you want me to tweet that would be very helpful. At 9400 followers and growing all the time! Cool? I hope so!

 

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I’ve got a few giveaways you might want to check out too!

Tasty Treat Thursday Strawberry Tall Cake Recipe

With minor modifications, I have helped my son create the Strawberry Tall Cake from The Do It Myself Kids’ Cookbook by Laura Goldrich Wolf.

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My son (4YO) and I made this cake together but changed the strawberry syrup to a homemade multi-berry sauce by simply boiling a package of Dole frozen fruit over medium to medium-low heat until saucy; to thicken a bit add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch or a ¼ cup powdered sugar as desired. We also made our own whipped cream using our Kitchen Aid stand mixer with the whisk attachment using 1 cups whipping cream and ¼ cup powdered sugar. On one layer we used strawberries as the recipe states and the other layer we used blueberries for a red, white, and blue cake in honor of the 4th of July.

Find the Strawberry Tall Cake in The Do It Myself Kids’ Cookbook on pages 106-9. My 4YO is learning to read so the cookbook’s full pictures help him read what’s next.

Here’s my little helper! Do you love to cook with your kids too? My son told me the other day he’s going to be a chef … that would be a dream for me. I do hope he follows his dreams to do whatever he wants as he grows up!

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Strawberry Tall Cake Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
12 large Strawberries
1 frozen pound cake, defrosted
10 tablespoons strawberry syrup
1 can whipped cream

DIRECTIONS:

Grown-Up Prep: pound cake, defrosted and sliced horizontally into 3 equal pieces

1. On a cutting board, use a plastic knife to thinly slice the strawberries. (Save 1 whole strawberry.) Place a bowl securely on the work surface and put the strawberries in it.

2. Place the platter on your working surface. Put the bottom slice of cake on the platter. Spread about half of the strawberries over the cake slice. Drizzle the strawberries with 5 tablespoons of strawberry syrup. Cover the berries with whipped cream. (Shake well and squirt! But not too close to the berries.)

3. Place another slice of cake on top of the whipped cream. Place almost half the remaining strawberries on the cake slice and again drizzle with 5 tablespoons of strawberry syrup. Again, cover the berries in whipped cream.

4. Place the last slice of the pound cake on the layered cake. Top with the remaining berry slices and whole berry.

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About Summer:

Summer is the President of our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living while cooking up a storm.

Walk Through a Cars 2 Car Show With Me

After watching Cars 2 at the El Capitan you have the opportunity to go into the “after party” scene, Cars 2 World Grand Prix. There is over 3 1/2 hours of fun inside the Cars 2 World Grand Prix. It’s like stepping into a carnival made for cars. One of my favorite parts was the Car Show.

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All the above photos were taken by me. When you’re at the Cars 2 World Grand Prix you have the opportunity to have your photo taken with the stars of the movie while you’re there. I love looking at cars so much, I wanted to include more cars that inspired the movie Cars 2. These photos are used on behalf of Disney and were taken at the annual Motorama.

Pixar Animation Studios hosted its 11th annual Motorama on June 24th on its Emeryville, Calif., grounds as its 12th full-length feature “Cars 2” raced into theaters nationwide. The four-wheeled comedy adventure’s anticipated opening aptly coincided with the much celebrated employee car show this year, which showcases the team’s love of cars, featuring a variety of special vehicles owned by employees, celebrities and auto manufacturers alike, as well as life-size, remote-controlled cars modeled after car characters from the film.  Hosted by director and car enthusiast John Lasseter and “Cars” franchise guardian Jay Ward, Motorama is what many call the “coolest day of the year” at the Northern California Studio.

EMERYVILLE, CA - JUNE 24: PIXAR REVS ITS ENGINES AS “CARS 2” ROLLS INTO THEATERS  – Pixar Animation Studios hosted its 11th annual Motorama today on its Emeryville, Calif., grounds as its 12th full-length feature “Cars 2” raced into theaters nationwide. The four-wheeled comedy adventure’s anticipated opening aptly coincided with the much celebrated employee car show this year, which showcases the team’s love of cars, featuring a variety of special vehicles owned by employees, celebrities and auto manufacturers alike, as well as life-size, remote-controlled cars modeled after car characters from the film.  Hosted by director and car enthusiast John Lasseter and “Cars” franchise guardian Jay Ward, Motorama is what many call the “coolest day of the year” at the Northern California Studio. Featuring the voices of Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer and John Turturro, Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 2” is in theaters now, and is presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D in select theaters. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Le Studio)EMERYVILLE, CA - JUNE 24: GOOD MORNING AMERICA RACES TO PIXAR AS “CARS 2” HITS THE STARTING LINE – Good Morning America was on hand today, along with the rest of the “Cars 2” team, at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif., as the action comedy adventure hit the big screen nationwide. Good Morning America broadcasted all of their morning weather segments from Pixar, while employees celebrated the film’s opening and prepared for their 11th annual Motorama—an employee car show featuring special vehicles owned by employees, celebrities and auto manufacturers alike, as well as life-size, remote-controlled cars modeled after

EMERYVILLE, CA - JUNE 24: PIXAR REVS ITS ENGINES AS “CARS 2” ROLLS INTO THEATERS  – Pixar Animation Studios hosted its 11th annual Motorama today on its Emeryville, Calif., grounds as its 12th full-length feature “Cars 2” raced into theaters nationwide. The four-wheeled comedy adventure’s anticipated opening aptly coincided with the much celebrated employee car show this year, which showcases the team’s love of cars, featuring a variety of special vehicles owned by employees, celebrities and auto manufacturers alike, as well as life-size, remote-controlled cars modeled after car characters from the film.  Hosted by director and car enthusiast John Lasseter and “Cars” franchise guardian Jay Ward, Motorama is what many call the “coolest day of the year” at the Northern California Studio. Featuring the voices of Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer and John Turturro, Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 2” is in theaters now, and is presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D in select theaters. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Le Studio)EMERYVILLE, CA - JUNE 24: PIXAR REVS ITS ENGINES AS “CARS 2” ROLLS INTO THEATERS  – Director John Lasseter as Pixar Animation Studios hosted its 11th annual Motorama today on its Emeryville, Calif., grounds as its 12th full-length feature “Cars 2” raced into theaters nationwide. The four-wheeled comedy adventure’s anticipated opening aptly coincided with the much celebrated employee car show this year, which showcases the team’s love of cars, featuring a variety of special vehicles owned by employees, celebrities and auto manufacturers alike, as well as life-size, remote-controlled cars modeled after car characters from the film.  Hosted by director and car enthusiast John Lasseter and “Cars” franchise guardian Jay Ward, Motorama is what many call the “coolest day of the year” at the Northern California Studio. Featuring the voices of Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer and John Turturro, Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 2” is in theaters now, and is presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D in select theaters. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Le Studio)EMERYVILLE, CA - JUNE 24: PIXAR REVS ITS ENGINES AS “CARS 2” ROLLS INTO THEATERS  – Director John Lasseter as Pixar Animation Studios hosted its 11th annual Motorama today on its Emeryville, Calif., grounds as its 12th full-length feature “Cars 2” raced into theaters nationwide. The four-wheeled comedy adventure’s anticipated opening aptly coincided with the much celebrated employee car show this year, which showcases the team’s love of cars, featuring a variety of special vehicles owned by employees, celebrities and auto manufacturers alike, as well as life-size, remote-controlled cars modeled after car characters from the film.  Hosted by director and car enthusiast John Lasseter and “Cars” franchise guardian Jay Ward, Motorama is what many call the “coolest day of the year” at the Northern California Studio. Featuring the voices of Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer and John Turturro, Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 2” is in theaters now, and is presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D in select theaters. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Le Studio)EMERYVILLE, CA - JUNE 24: PIXAR REVS ITS ENGINES AS “CARS 2” ROLLS INTO THEATERS  – Pixar Animation Studios hosted its 11th annual Motorama today on its Emeryville, Calif., grounds as its 12th full-length feature “Cars 2” raced into theaters nationwide. The four-wheeled comedy adventure’s anticipated opening aptly coincided with the much celebrated employee car show this year, which showcases the team’s love of cars, featuring a variety of special vehicles owned by employees, celebrities and auto manufacturers alike, as well as life-size, remote-controlled cars modeled after car characters from the film.  Hosted by director and car enthusiast John Lasseter and “Cars” franchise guardian Jay Ward, Motorama is what many call the “coolest day of the year” at the Northern California Studio. Featuring the voices of Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer and John Turturro, Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 2” is in theaters now, and is presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D in select theaters. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Le Studio)EMERYVILLE, CA - JUNE 24: PIXAR REVS ITS ENGINES AS “CARS 2” ROLLS INTO THEATERS  – Pixar Animation Studios hosted its 11th annual Motorama today on its Emeryville, Calif., grounds as its 12th full-length feature “Cars 2” raced into theaters nationwide. The four-wheeled comedy adventure’s anticipated opening aptly coincided with the much celebrated employee car show this year, which showcases the team’s love of cars, featuring a variety of special vehicles owned by employees, celebrities and auto manufacturers alike, as well as life-size, remote-controlled cars modeled after car characters from the film.  Hosted by director and car enthusiast John Lasseter and “Cars” franchise guardian Jay Ward, Motorama is what many call the “coolest day of the year” at the Northern California Studio. Featuring the voices of Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer and John Turturro, Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 2” is in theaters now, and is presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D in select theaters. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Le Studio)EMERYVILLE, CA - JUNE 24: PIXAR REVS ITS ENGINES AS “CARS 2” ROLLS INTO THEATERS  – Pixar Animation Studios hosted its 11th annual Motorama today on its Emeryville, Calif., grounds as its 12th full-length feature “Cars 2” raced into theaters nationwide. The four-wheeled comedy adventure’s anticipated opening aptly coincided with the much celebrated employee car show this year, which showcases the team’s love of cars, featuring a variety of special vehicles owned by employees, celebrities and auto manufacturers alike, as well as life-size, remote-controlled cars modeled after car characters from the film.  Hosted by director and car enthusiast John Lasseter and “Cars” franchise guardian Jay Ward, Motorama is what many call the “coolest day of the year” at the Northern California Studio. Featuring the voices of Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer and John Turturro, Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 2” is in theaters now, and is presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D in select theaters. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Le Studio)EMERYVILLE, CA - JUNE 24: GOOD MORNING AMERICA RACES TO PIXAR AS “CARS 2” HITS THE STARTING LINE – Good Morning America was on hand today, along with the rest of the “Cars 2” team, at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif., as the action comedy adventure hit the big screen nationwide. Good Morning America broadcasted all of their morning weather segments from Pixar, while employees celebrated the film’s opening and prepared for their 11th annual Motorama—an employee car show featuring special vehicles owned by employees, celebrities and auto manufacturers alike, as well as life-size, remote-controlled cars modeled after "Cars 2" characters Lightning McQueen, Mater and Finn McMissile.  Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 2” is in theaters now, and is presented in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX® 3D in select theaters. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Le Studio)

Featuring the voices of Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer and John Turturro, Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 2” is in theaters now, and is presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D in select theaters.

Most Photos provided by Disney the rest were taken by me, my trip and all expenses were paid for by Disney. I didn’t attend the Motorama. 

Safeway’s Mom To Mom $25.00

Safeway uses a program called mom to mom to develop a line of baby products. These products are developed by the experts, for the experts. MOMS! Safeway is re-launching their mom to mom® line of diapers and training pants which were designed with the help of real experts us. You know moms! Safeway knows that us moms know best when it comes to caring for babies (because we do it everyday), so they took the advice of moms and made improvements to their line of diapers and training pants. We received a package of mom to mom Kiddie Ups on behalf of Safeway. Funny thing is, Miles just finished potty training and refuses to wear them.

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  • mom to mom diapers are now available only in the Supreme variety (in the purple packaging), and offer better leakage control, perfect fit waistband and tabs, an ultra absorbent core, and a super soft hypoallergenic liner with aloe, vitamin E, and organic botanicals.

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  • mom to mom training pants are now easier to change and provide  better fit and comfort, have easy open sides (a feature not available on all training pants), and  a super soft hypoallergenic liner with aloe, vitamin E,  and organic botanicals.

 

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Knowing what I’ve used and what I’ve seen out there. As far as “Pull” up training pants go, they really need to be easy to take off. So the tabs the mom to mom training pants have are really great. Let me tell you that changing a poopy training pant is no fun at all when you have to pull them down. Aie yi yi, no one wants poop all down the leg of their child. And I wanted to note that when I first pulled them apart, I actually thought I broke it, but I was wrong. They fasten and refasten over and over again and hold pretty firm.

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This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to Debbie Stanton.

We received two gift cards, one to giveaway and one to keep.

Johnson’s Treasuring Everyday Joy with Alyson Hannigan

My two bundles of joy bring me happiness every day. They make me laugh cry and love my life. Zoe is 4 going on teenager ready to move out. She wants to wear makeup and go to college and is almost always sporting a princess dress for playtime. Miles is 3 going on driving me up the wall. He pays attention like a cat walks on water but amuses me when he’s in his comedian joke telling mode. They both complete every day for me. Our house had a flood about three weeks ago and the kids have been sleeping on our bed in our room. Each night my husband or I get to sleep in the bed with them, and you may think I’m crazy but I enjoy it a great deal. I get quite a sense of peace and joy sleeping in the same bed as my children. Hearing them breathe is the most peaceful sound in the world to me. That’s my everyday joy!

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Joy Logo FinalJohnson’s kicked off the treasuring everyday joy campaign earlier this year. They went around the country and found 50 joyous families and featured them on WE TV and published a book dedicated to Treasuring Everyday Joy. This book is complete with photos and profiles of all 50 families. Leading comedy actress and mother of 3, Alyson Hannigan (CBS’s How I Met Your Mother), kicked off the campaign in honor of treasuring the small joys in one’s life.

“It is so important to treasure everyday moments with your children,” said celebrity mom Alyson Hannigan. “Whether it’s the giggles during bath time or reading with them before bedtime; it’s those simple things that are part of your daily routine which you come to value most as a mom. I never take those moments for granted as they change so much from day-to-day, that each one is a new adventure.”

Alyson HanniganShe has generously signed a few of the TREASURING EVERYDAY JOY™ books and we have one to giveaway along with a basket of Johnson’s products.

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to Gianna.

Chocolate Filled Rain Drops Cookie Recipe

I had to come up with a cookie that represented my state and well, it’s all in the title. It rains quite a bit here in the Pacific Northwest State of Washington so I figured I’d make rain quite a bit of fun. I combined two of my favorite things, Yellow Cake Mix Cookies and Ganache to make these decadent Chocolate Filled Rain Drop Cookies. If you like this recipe you should feel free to vote over at Better Home & Garden Facebook Page.

Chocolate Filled Rain Drop Cookies

Chocolate Filled Rain Drops Recipe

Chocolate Filled Rain Drops Cookie Recipe
4.0 from 1 reviews
Print
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Louise Bishop
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 25 mins
Ingredients
  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 1/2 cup M&M Candies
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 8 table spoons Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
Directions
  1. Heat oven to 350
  2. Mix yellow cake mix, oil and 2 eggs in a bowl with mixer.
  3. Then add the M&M’s and mix by hand.
  4. Spoon out onto a cookie sheet
  5. Cook for 8 – 10 minutes
  6. Let cool on wire rack
  7. Combine heavy whipping cream and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl
  8. Microwave 30 seconds
  9. Stir
  10. Repeat until well mixed
  11. Spoon ganache onto the bottom of one cookie
  12. Top with another cookie
  13. Refrigerate for an hour
  14. Serve
Google Recipe View Microformatting by Easy Recipe

My Top Ten K-Cup Coffee Flavors #YourPerfectCup

I’ve been using the Keurig Single Cup coffee brewer for over four years now and I still love it. Having used it for such a long period of time I can easily give you a top 10 coffee flavor list. Of course I love tea too and that will just have to be a separate list. So for now here is my top ten K-Cup Coffee Flavors.

Coffeeaddict_thumb 

icedcoffee2_thumb1. Donut House Chocolate Glazed Donut

2. Tully’s Sumatra

3. Tully’s Kona

4. Brew Over Ice French Vanilla Iced Coffee

5. Brew Over Ice Nantucket Blend Iced Coffee

6. Tully’s Decaf

7. Revv Pulse

8. Kahlua Original

9. Donut House Cinnamon Role

10. Green Mountain Coffee Caramel Vanilla Cream

I’m hoping that this holiday season they come out with some fun holiday flavored coffees to try. Peppermint Mocha sounds like a great flavor don’t you think?

What flavors would you like to try?

 

All of these flavors can be found at Green Mountain Coffee Company. Just this past year I became a Green Mountain Keurig K-Cup Coffee ambassador, where I receive some coffee samples every month. I’m not compensated. I am addicted to coffee!!!

Join KitchenAid Cook For the Cure July 15-24, 2011

KitchenAid is all about cooking, every appliance and product they make helps you out in the kitchen. From the Mixer, to the spatula all the way to the dishwasher KitchenAid has you covered and they are also interested in our health by raising money for Susan G Komen.

imageYou’re invited to help by becoming one of 1,000 cooks hosting cook for the cure parties around the country. Support the fight against breast cancer by inviting your friends and family for a summer party and instead of asking friends to bring wine or flowers, ask them to bring a small donation.

If your party is registered at CookfortheCure.com and raises more than $50, you will receive a special Villeroy & Boch “Pass the Plate” serving platter (valued at $24.95) as a thank you by mail upon after your donation as been received. With its charming artwork by PBS cooking show host Jacques Pépin, this platter WILL tempt you to keep it for yourself. But please don’t! It was designed to be “re-gifted” again and again along with a homemade culinary creation from the giver. Each time these individually numbered plates are registered and passed along to others, KitchenAid will make a $5 donation to Komen. This way your party keeps on giving. So you’ll have to remind your friends to keep the plate and to give it away again.

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It’s all part of Cook for the Cure®, a partnership between Susan G. Komen 1,000 Cooks for the Cure. For other ways to participate, visit CookfortheCure.com. KitchenAid will donate a minimum of $450,000 to Komen in 2011. Cook for the Cure® is a registered trademark of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

If you sign up to be a cook for the cure you can enter to win 100.00 Worth of KitchenAid Products.

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This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to Katherine!

Be on the lookout for another great giveaway next month with KitchenAid here at MomStart.

Moms Amazing Carrot Meatloaf Recipe

Cooking for my family is complicated sometimes. Normal recipes that most families love I have to alter for my family. We have a no onion house rule and meat can not taste anything like meat tastes. So I have to work really hard to make sure meat takes on the flavor of something else. I came up with a winning meatloaf recipe so I call it, Moms Amazing Carrot Meatloaf Recipe.

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Here is my Amazing Carrot Meatloaf Recipe

Moms Amazing Carrot Meatloaf Recipe
5.0 from 2 reviews
Print
Recipe Type: Main
Author: Louise Bishop
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 45 mins
Total time: 1 hour 5 mins
Serves: 4
Meatloaf recipe for a picky family with a healthy twist
Ingredients
  • 1/2 lb hamburger meat
  • 2 cups cooked carrots
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup crushed crackers
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. In a food processor add all the ingredients and mix well.
  3. Place the mixture in a glass baking dish (2.75 quart)
  4. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until temperature is safe
Google Recipe View Microformatting by Easy Recipe

Wordless Wednesday Three Lovely Ladies

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Pictured: Crystal, Sunny, and Me.

Photo taken by Kas