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Double Apple Nut Muffins Recipe

August 19, 2011 By 25 Comments
A few days ago some thick clouds rolled over the Northwest, just in time for those four sad looking apples on my counter to turn even more sad. And when clouds are here, it is kinda dark and cool (shame on me, I even had to put jeans on, which I hardly ever do when it is ‘summer’) I just want something sweet and spicy and warming that just makes our house and tummies happy. So this apple nut bread was just the thing to make. The receipt is for one 9×5 loaf pan or for 12 muffins – depending on how much time you have for baking. I made these ones for afternoon snack and did not start in time so they ended up in a muffin pan (I always double the receipt though and freeze some …. Just pop the frozen slices in the toaster and butter …. Hmmm). It is called double apple because it has apple sauce and diced apples as well. The recipe is from FamilyFun.

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Double Apple Nut Muffins Recipe
5.0 from 1 reviews
Print
Recipe Type: Dessert, Snack
Author: Orshi
Ingredients
  • 1 cup smooth unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1/2 cup sugar (I usually just cut this in half so it is a bit more healthy)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt (for my dairy sensitive son I just replace this with apple sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour (I only bake with multigrain flour that is high in fiber, you can simply use all purpose, or half whole wheat half all purpose – you won’t be able to tell the difference)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup peeled, cored and finely diced apples (about 2 medium sized)
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350° if you are baking a loaf or 400 if you are baking muffins. Grease 9×5 loaf pan or muffin tins.
  2. Combine apple sauce, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, oil, yogurt, vanilla in a large bowl.
  3. In another bowl combine all dry ingredients. Stir the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients just until they are combined.
  4. Fold in diced apples, raisins and nuts. Scrape the batter into prepared pans.
  5. Sprinkle the top with raw or turbinado sugar to get a sweet and sparkly finish.
  6. Bake the loaf for 50-55 minutes on 350°, or muffins for 15-17 minutes on 400° until an inserted wooden skewer comes out clean.
Google Recipe View Microformatting by Easy Recipe

 

 

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About Orshi:

Orshi is a teacher at UCIC where she works daily with children. She shows a great love for children as she has three of her own. She also loves Facebook, gardening and baking. She was born and grew up in Hungary and now lives across the street.

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How To: Lion King 3D Family Pride Party Entertaining Crafts, Snacks, & Music

August 19, 2011 By 20 Comments

We’re getting ready for the exciting return of Lion King to the big screen in 3D. To prepare we’re having a Family Pride Party, but we’re still not quite ready as it’s taking some time for us to collect supplies. You see, as part of the party we’re going to be making Lion King Themed crafts. So we need, paper towel rolls, empty clean milk carton jugs, clean empty canned foods, and jars. As we eat certain foods I’ve been having to make sure the containers don’t go directly into the recycling bin as they usually do. Yes, a milk jug was recycled and that put me a little bit behind because I need enough for two of everything right?

Of Course I do and if you have even more children than I do you’ll need even more. Just in case you might be interested in hosting a Family Pride Party for Lion King 3D, I’m going to share all the tools you need to throw your own Family Pride Party.

The Lion King 3D  comes to theaters September 16th and October 4th will be released on Blu-ray 3D & Blu-ray Hi-Def

First you need some Chow:

Here are directions to make Pumbaa & Timon’s Hakuna Matata Trail Mix Recipe.

Pumba & Timon's Hakuna Matata Trail Mix Recipe

Then You’ll want to wash the Trail Mix down with some Pumbaa & Timon’s Bug Sludge Smoothie Recipe

Pumbaa & Timon's Bug Sludge Smoothie Recipe

And just in case you have the appetite of a wild hog, you’ll need one more recipe, so be sure and try the Pumbaa & Timon’s Bug Buffet Recipe.

Pumbaa & Timon's Bug Buffet Recipe

Then you need some crafts for Fun and Music

After you have all the food settled, you’ll need to organize all those craft ideas. Like I mentioned above you might need some time collecting supplies. Here are some Lion King Coloring Pages. Now the Lion King Masks are what we’re all really excited about and what I needed the milk jugs for. Here are instructions on how to make your own Lion King Masks.

Make Your Own Lion King Mask Craft

We had to eat a lot of soup and tomato sauce to collect enough cans for Nala’s Log Drum but we did make one.

Nala's Log Drum

We haven’t gathered everything we need to make Simba’s Safari Shakers yet.

Simba's Safari Shaker Craft

We did make some Zazu’s Kazoos though.

Zazu's Kazoo Craft

Finally, if you have budding artists like mine you’ll want to have drawing instructions. Here is how to dray Timon and How to draw Pumbaa.

How-to-Draw Timon

How To Draw Timon
View more presentations from WDSHE Goodies

 

How-to-Draw Pumbaa

How To Draw Pumbaa
View more presentations from WDSHE Goodies

More fun to come as Lion King returns to the big screen in 3D September 23rd. We received supplies needed to create crafts and will be sharing our final results as we have our own party.

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Giveaway Jingle Link Up Your Giveaway Here

August 19, 2011 By 5 Comments

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 10,300 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!

Filed Under: linky Tagged With: , ,

Dear Whirlpool Duet Washer & Dryer Welcome To Our Home

August 18, 2011 By 30 Comments

Dear Whirlpool Duet Washer,

My expectations were high and I was worried that I would find your color boring, but no you surprised me with your beautiful shine and luster. Your shiny silver exterior has won me over after all. Even with that fun surprise, what really won me over was your first load and I put you to the test.

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Our family went camping before you arrived and I didn’t get all of the laundry washed as I had hoped. When you were installed I looked inside you and thought, there is no way you’re going to be big enough inside to wash our sleeping bags.

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IMG_2429Your circumference is just a few inches smaller than your predecessor. As I was pitting you against all odds, shoving the sleeping bag into you, I figured I was setting you up. You surprised me. You even delighted me. I was even giddy as I found out how many setting you had, and as I started using past the first load, I found out you had even more secret settings (special pre-programmed cycles like the kids cycle) that I’ll have to blog about later.

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For this first load, I selected bulky on the nob and then I picked cold/cold for the temperature and let you use all the rest of your preset settings as they were.

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I sat there like a kid in the candy store as I watched you squirt water and soap into your drum. I didn’t want to stand there for the entire hour so I went down stairs to await your grumbles and shakes. I was sure I overloaded you. You didn’t grumble at me, I was surprised, shocked even that you didn’t complain. You did however make more noise on start up and in spin dry mode. Perhaps that was one feature you just couldn’t live up to. Your predecessor was EXTRA quiet, compared to no sound at all you sound like a rocket taking off. (yes I’m exaggerating a little bit here but you just make more noise than our family is used to.) In time, you’ll be accepted for your noise because all your other outstanding features outweigh your let’s call it exuberance to clean. You did get the sleeping bag clean without complaining at me after all.

Dear Whirlpool Duet Dryer,

As my letter to our Whirlpool Duet Washing machine was quite long, I’ll keep your letter short and sweet. You were also tested with the large sleeping bag. Your insides are a bit more roomy as a dryer should be, so I threw the sleeping bag inside your drum and asked you to dry it. You almost completely dried it in one go. Can you see the shock on my face? No, I suppose you can’t, but I was very delighted to find that if I wanted, I could have just taken the sleeping back out and laid it flat to continue drying. The part that was still wet was you know in the center of the sleeping bag that had rolled itself up inside you as you were doing your job. You outdid your predecessor in one go. So only time will tell if you can keep up the good work.

PS. My husband loves you.

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PPS. My husband loves you so much he left me a Facebook message on my wall about loving you.

PPS. I love you because you’re so much fun to play with that my husband has started doing laundry again.

 

 

I wrote this review while participating in a test-drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Whirlpool and received a complimentary Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer to facilitate my review

Filed Under: personal, review Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Tasty Treat Thursday Dirt Cake Recipe

August 18, 2011 By 19 Comments

Nothing can be easier than making mud pies. You can home make this recipe or simply assemble premade ingredients. I made these from my youngest’s 2nd birthday this past weekend. We had an insect theme and dirt cake just seemed to fit in perfectly. This is perfect for perfectly themed birthday parties (insects, flowers, gardening) and “gross” Halloween snacks. This is a fun recipe for a surprise in your child’s lunchbox too.

Dirt Cake Mix

These ingredients can be verified to include your favorites — favorite pudding, favorite cakes or cookies, favorite accents. This is a fun dessert, have fun with it AND let it be messy because it’s dirt (cake).

I recommend a clear cup so people can spy on the layers and what’s inside.

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Dirt Cake Mix Recipe

INGREDIENTS

2 boxes of pudding, made according to directions
2 cups crusted/crumbled cake, brownies or cookies
accents – candy chocolate rocks, flower lollipops, gummy worms or bugs, dyed green coconut as grass

DIRECTIONS:
Layer! Pudding, crumbles, accents. Repeat. For fun have a bug crawling out of the dirt.

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About Summer:

Summer is very active in 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.

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Recyclebank’s Green Your School Year Challenge: Step One Back-to-school Shopping

August 17, 2011 By 11 Comments

Have you done your back to school shopping yet, are your kids back in school yet? Mine won’t be going back until after Labor Day. That’s just how we swing on the West Coast, or at least in the Pacific Northwest. So we haven’t even thought about getting back to school supplies, but I do suppose that it is time to get into that frame of mind. Both of my children will be in preschool next year, so I’m going to need to be ready for lunches and afternoon snacks. If you know me, I work really hard to feed my children healthy and what better way than to use organic food.

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I’ve been asked to participate in Recyclebank’s Green Your School Year Challenge and it starts today. Recyclebank, the company that rewards consumers for every day green actions. Green Your School Year was designed to educate and motivate families like us to make more eco-friendly school year decisions.  You’re invited to join me and participate too. There are prizes for everyone to win like a $2500 Macy’s Gift Card for a Back-to-School shopping spree, a NOOK Color eReader and much more.

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The first part of the competition is about Back To School Shopping.

First you have to take the pledge. Pledge to buy organic recycled or recyclable products and tweet #greenschools http://ow.ly/61D3z via @recyclebank or share on Facebook. You can do both directly from Recyclebank.’s Green Your School Year site.  Then collect your points. You can decide what to pledge, you could even pledge to carpool. Pledge anything that will benefit the environment.

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Then from there you can also download some valuable tips on how to find out if products you are buying are environmentally sustainable. Check company websites to read their environmental sustainability policies prior to shopping, and make sure that the places you shop support the same environmental initiatives that you do. Get the checklist in order to learn what to look for. Then continue on throughout the day and keep earning points. take a few quizzes. Consider your electronics, do you recycle them? Dispose of Batteries Properly, Sell Used Electronics and Find ways to properly dispose of electronics. These are just a few ideas we’ve written about before. Then you can take more polls and quizzes, while learning all about everything you need for back to school.

Recyclebank is full of great information and tips on becoming more green. Share your tips with me, how would you become more green this school  year.

 

This post is part of a sponsored campaign with Recyclebank.

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The NEW Step2 Wild Slide Riders Zebra Can Help Your Toddler Step It Up!

August 17, 2011 By 13 Comments

step2 logoMy little boy has now officially reached “toddlerhood.” It’s taken me a month or so to accept that he isn’t a baby, but watching him as he cruises around, his babbles start to turn into words and his strong imagepersonality makes itself even more known, I’m realizing that toddlerhood is a pretty cool thing. One of the best parts is the new variety of toys to choose from. We can actually now consider ride on toys! He is so much more fun and interactive … and likes trying to do most everything HIMSELF! Step2 has such a wide variety of toys to choose from! They are a strong, reputable company that carries exactly what can support children at every stage of their development!

Right now, Atticus is just starting to cruise around. He’s a little hesitant to take risks and actually “walk” on his own, but that’s where the Step2 Wild Side Riders Zebra came in handy. As soon as he saw the pictures on the box, I knew that this Step2 product was going to be a hit. There was some very quick and easy assembly required. In under 10 minutes, with nothing more than a hammer and some easy sticker placement, our new ride on toy was ready to go.

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Since it is Atticus’s first ride on toy, I was a little nervous that he wouldn’t know exactly what to do. Boy was I wrong! Not only did he hop on board and begin scooting around the room, but he took time to pet the Zebra’s face, point out his eyes and then scratch the Zebra’s ears. The next thing was my favorite. Atticus took the lead of the Zebra and used it to walk! He also used the ears of the Zebra making it not only a ride on toy, but also a push toy to aid in the development of walking!

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clip_image004[4]Step2 describes the Step2 Wild Side Riders Zebra (taken from the website) as:

  • Lightweight design for easy storage and portability
  • Contoured seat with easy grip handle
  • Cute character gives this toy a warm appeal
  • Durable poly construction lasts for year
  • Weight limit: 45 lbs. (20.4 kg)
  • Minimal adult assembly required
  • Recommended for ages 1.5 and up
    Not a fan of zebras? No problem. There is also a Step2 Wild Side Riders Giraffe! Also an adorable and

    an enticing option for any toddler.

    As someone who has worked with children for a long time, I’ve always been a huge fan of Step2 products. Now I’m excited to begin building our collection of Step2 products!

(Thanks to Step2.com for the individual product pictures.)

Disclosure – A product was provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the writing of this review; however, opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

About Ashley:

Ashley has a background in teaching Kindergarten and working with children K through 8th grade. She is now a SAHM and a very active member of our local MOMS Club chapter. She writes her own blog at Momicles.

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White Chocolate Caramel Latte Pancakes & Iced Café Latte Coffee-mate Creamer Recipe

August 17, 2011 By 56 Comments

You know I’m a coffee drinker right? Oh yes, coffee every day or my day is not complete and I like it sweet. So I use a lot of creamer which means I know a lot about creamer. MMMM, creamer!

Café Collection creamers: Vanilla Latte, Hazelnut Latte, and Café Mocha. Along with our existing flavors of Caramel Macchiato, Café Latte, and White Chocolate Caramel Latte – Coffee-mate Café Collection flavors are the perfect additions to help you make a refreshing iced coffee.

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White Chocolate Caramel Latte Pancakes Recipe:

Ingredients:

3 1/3 cups Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix
1 1/2 cups White Chocolate Caramel Latte Coffee-Mate Creamer
1 cup cold water

Directions:

Preheat Griddle to 375 degrees
In Large Bowl, blend together pancake mix, creamer, and water with a wire whip
Batter will be slightly lumpy
Pour slightly les than 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto lightly greased griddle
Cook Pancakes 1 1/2 minutes per side, or until golden brown, turning only once

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Iced Café Latte Recipe:

Ingredients:

Ice Cubes
3/4 cup 1 % milk
2 shots (2 ounces) espresso
3 tablespoons Café Latte Flavor Nestle Coffee-Mate Liquid Coffee Creamer

Directions:

Fill talk glass with ice, top with milk, espresso and Coffee-Mate

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, Wanda M.

We received samples in exchange for this post. All rules can be found under giveaway rules

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The Other Four Wordless Wednesday

August 16, 2011 By 33 Comments

Kas and I had a lot of fun at Blogher. We both arrived a day early and had some time to walk around the marina and enjoy the sites. While enjoying the sites she had this wonderfully crazy idea to post the Top 8 HOTTEST PediCab drivers in San Diego. She took four and I have the other four. So this week Wordless Wednesday is thanks to Kas.

And I have to say they were little hams, they loved having their photos taken.

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Back To School Shoes Crocs Sneak Summer Into School Sweepstakes

August 16, 2011 By 23 Comments

Back to school with Crocs makes kids run faster, just ask my daughter about her new pink sparkly crocs.

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Since you can’t ask her you can watch her run away:

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Crocs are stinking awesome. I love shoes that you can bend in half because they are more comfortable. They are easier to walk in and they are more natural for developing feet that children have. Experts say that letting you children go barefoot is best, but I’m sorry, I won’t allow my kids to go outside without shoes on. Call me crazy, cause I know I am. So I love FLEXIBLE Shoes and these CROCS are amazing.

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Remember when you were a kid and you got a new pair of shoes? At least for me it was so much fun to get new shoes. I always thought they made me run faster and jump higher. And here, Zoe is showing me the same excitement with her new Back To School Crocs.

As far as the CROCS back to school line goes both boys and girls have some fun options.

Boys Shoes:

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Girls Shoes:

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Let’s have some back to school fun together. This video is interactive. You can click on different things in the video for Easter Eggs. Below is a big clue to unlocking a fun Easter Egg right here on MomStart (well inside the video that is)

 Easter Egg Photo Hint

 

And for the Sneak Summer into School Sweepstakes with Crocs:

You could win a trip for four to San Diego: oceanside, family-friendly hotel, San Diego or Sea World tickets, $200 play money, and a rental car. And since I was just there, I can say it’s a wonderful location and I would love to go back with my family. Good Luck in the contest.

 

 

This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media and Crocs. I received a pair of Crocs shoes for the purpose of this review. I was also compensated for my time investment and work on their Back To School campaign. Thoughts are my own.

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