Do you love spending quality time with your children or grandchildren? Who doesn’t right? Spending time together creates those memories that all of you will treasure for a lifetime. Baking in the kitchen with the kids is a great way to bond and have fun. An easy way to get started is with a Baketivity Baking Kit.
Baketivity is more than just a baking kit; it’s a wonderful way to bond with your kids and build skills in an informal way. It’s easy, fun and mess free and you will end up with the most delicious results.
Baketivity Kits are filled wiwht wholesome ingredients so you can create masterpieces and memories with Fresh, Certified Kosher Ingredients That Are Manufactured In An FDA Approved Facility In The USA.If you are intimidated by baking, relax. Baketivity is a cake walk, just mix and stir the pre-measured ingredients and simple, kid-friendly instructions.
Each kit has a recipe book with step-by-step instructions with colorful, kid-friendly illustrations to make sure every bite comes out perfectly. Don’t be stressed, Baketivity provides enjoyable learning where you and your kids can explore exciting, colorful lessons and play educational games while your goodies bake. A detailed shopping list for all the wet ingredients and baking tools is provided in each kit.
As a fun bonus, you can dress for the part with the free chef’s hat and apron. Your little baker will love it! Best of all, you can enjoy sweet savings today with code FAMILYGUIDE to get 18% on any subscription plans. Click Here for Coupon.
Multipots are so popular these days, but it can be hard deciding what kind to get. I was thrilled to learn about the Mealthy Multipot recently. The Mealthy Multipot is a 9-in-1 Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker. There are several reason I like this Multipot over the competition.
As a busy mom with a husband, 5 kids and an active life, I understand the struggle of getting a delicious, fresh and healthy dinner on the table when our lives have us always on-the-go.
The Mealthy MultiPot features 9 cooking functions in one appliance. With the MultiPot you can pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, steam, bake, cook rice, make yogurt and much more, all at the touch of button. With the MultiPot you can get your meals cooked and on the table up to 70% faster when you use one of the 14 pressure cooking preset programs. You can have fresh corn on the cob in just 2 minutes when you pressure cook it in the MultiPot!
With some of the other brands you don’t get an extra gasket, so you can use one for savory dishes and one for sweet dishes. With the Multipot you also get a steamer basket, silicone mitts, a trivet, easy touch control panel, access to the Multipot app and website where you will find hundreds of recipes and instructional videos.
You will understand what is happening every step of the way, thanks to the LCD screen with progress indicator and intuitive icons. You can also join two Multipot Facebook Community Groups where you can get inspiration, share recipes and ask questions. Besides the regular Multipot Community, you can check out the Vegan group too!
You can see my unboxing video of the Mealthy Multipot HERE! I also made my first recipe the other day, a delicious beef chili that I made using one of the recipes included with my Multipot.
I made some small changes to suit our tastes, and it turned out fabulous. My 9-year-old even asked me if there was any more because he loved it so much! He was not alone and it is going to be one of our regular dinners from now on.
You can do much more than make dinner in the Multipot, you can cook oatmeal and eggs for breakfast, make lunches, appetizers and even desserts like cheesecake! The Multipot has a 6 quart capacity enough for families of 4-6.
The everyday price of the Mealthy MultiPot on Amazon, which comes with extra accessories is $99.95. You can also head over to Mealthy.com and get the same package for $94.95 with two-day free shipping. Let me know what you think of the Mealthy Multipot and don’t forget to enter for your chance to win your own below.
Giveaway:
Mealthy is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win their own Mealthy Multipot! Thank you to Mealthy for the review Multipot and for sponsoring this delectable giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. Open to US residents.
Melathy Multipot 9-in-1 Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
Enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. The prize will be sent via FedEx or USPS. No P.O. Boxes please.
I cannot get over how foolproof this method of making a Rose Swirl Cake is. Do not be intimidated, because I think anyone can do this. This was my second time, and my first came out amazing too. For the cake, I used a moist yellow cake mix, then I made my chocolate buttercream frosting to use between the layers and crumb coat the whole cake.
I mixed up 1.5 batches of my vanilla buttercream frosting and added some pink gel coloring. Next, I filled a disposable piping bag fitted with an open star tip with the frosting. When you make the roses you start on the side of the cake. The height of the cake will determine how many rows of roses you will need. I made a traditional layer cake and I only needed to make 1 row of large roses on the side.
When you form the roses, you start in the center as if you are making a lowercase e. Go around in a circle surrounding the center until your rose is the desired size. Pick up your icing tip and start the next rose next to the first. Continue all the way around. Then start on the top of the cake. I piped a border around the bottom as well.
If you want to really enhance the cake, you can add pearl decor accents to the roses. The mixture of the yellow cake with the decadent chocolate buttercream and topped with the vanilla has become my family’s new favorite.
Check out my video tutorial for the specifics and to see how I make my buttercream frosting.
Let me know what you think and if you try this. If you are looking for a no bake cake recipe, check out my Carvel Style Ice Cream Cake, it is so good!
When I was growing up, birthdays were always celebrated with ice cream cakes. Most of the time they came from Carvel but sometimes, my parents picked one up at Dairy Queen. Our Dairy Queen used real cake in their ice cream cakes. I did not care for them as much as the Carvel cakes with the chocolate crunchy layer. I did like the fudge that was in the Dairy Queen cakes though.
With my own family, ice cream cakes are still highly requested for birthday cakes. I love to bake and make many different kinds of cakes, but had never attempted an ice cream cake. That changed a couple of weeks ago when I made my first ice cream cake. I choose to make one in the Carvel style, but enhanced the chocolate crunchy layer with a layer of fudge.
I was surprised at how well the cake came out. I did have one issue, but it was easily solved. I needed to stabilize my whipping cream, so that it could be piped onto the cake. It is very easy to do and I choose to do it by adding 2 teaspoons of Wilton Clear Piping Gel that I had on hand. It turned out fabulous. The next time I make it, I am going to use the stabilized whipped cream on the entire cake. There are also recipes for stabilized whipped cream using gelatin.
One of the reasons I like making my own ice cream cakes is because, I can customize them to our tastes using different flavors and non-GMO ice cream. I am thinking a caramel layer may be a nice option as well. Even using a high quality ice cream, the cake we made cost much less than buying a Carvel cake in the store. The prices of those cakes has increased dramatically over the years.
Making your own ice cream cake at home is not hard, but it does take time. You could make it in one day if you start early, but you are better off making it over 2 days. To start, freeze a 9″ springform pan. There are some different ways you can use the pan. This first time, I used it with the bottom attached, but for my next cake I plan to use a 12″ lace doily cake circle. You can put the cake circle on a cookie sheet with the ring on top.
The trick is to not let your ice cream soften too much if you use this method. It works best if you keep the ice cream as firm as possible while still being spreadable. I have also seen people who make it directly on a silicone lined baking sheep with the ring. I will update on how the cake circle method goes, and if I find it better than leaving the bottom attached.
I made a video tutorial of the process you can view below:
I picked up 2 containers of Breyer’s Non-GMO ice cream in chocolate and natural vanilla. I used chocolate on the bottom. After spreading it out in the pan, I let it freeze until firm.
Then I opened a package of regular OREO cookies and removed the cream from about 2 rows of cookies. I took the chocolate cookies and placed them in a zippered plastic bag and then crushed them coarsely with my rolling-pin.
Then, I added the crumbled chocolate OREO cookies on top. I put the cake back in the freezer to freeze a bit while the vanilla ice cream was on the counter softening up. When the ice cream reached a spreadable consistency, I spread it out on the cake. It looked like there was not enough room to add all the vanilla ice cream. I was surprised that I was able to add it all besides a tiny bit, I promised to save for my youngest son. With the vanilla ice cream spread evenly, I put the cake back in the freezer to set.
For the outer layer, I whipped up a quart of heavy whipping cream with 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract and 1/2 cup of confectioner’s sugar. As I said above, I would use the stabilized whipping cream on the entire cake next time. To make that version, you whip the cream, vanilla and sugar until soft peaks form, and then add in 2 teaspoons of Wilton clear piping gel, and beat until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to overbeat your cream.
It was not difficult to remove the ring from the cake. I used a hot cloth, and loosened the cake with a butter knife and the ring popped off.
I added the cream to the cake and sprinkled the top with rainbow-colored sprinkles. Then, back in the freezer for the cream to harden.
With the piping of the cream finished, I put the cake back in the freezer until we were ready to celebrate. Everyone loved the ice cream cake and raved about how good the fudge and chocolate crumbled cookie layer was. I will definitely be making our own ice cream cakes from now on.
Let me know what you think, and if you have made an ice cream cake in the comments. I would also like to know if you try this recipe, and how it turns out for you.
We were thrilled to take part in the Pup Star World Tour Cuisine Contest to celebrate the release of Pup Star: World Tour on Netflix and Digital HD May 5th.Air Bud Entertainment’s PUP STAR is back, with an all-new movie that takes the popular singing dogs on trip around the world, where Tiny and friends find fantastic new songs and meet exciting new canine singers that prove music really is the universal language!
If you missed our video we made of our unboxing of the great Pup Star: World Tour Suitcase Goodie Box we received, you can check it out below:
In that box we found a recipe booklet filled with fun human recipes we could make to enjoy while we watch Pup Star: World Tour on Netflix. We just love all the Air Bud and Air Buddies movies, so we were super excited to make Chinese Almond Cookies and share them with you.
Check out our recipe tutorial video below for step by step instructions on how to make these great cookies.
We altered the recipe a little because it mentioned baking soda but there was no baking soda in the recipe and so I added 1.5 tsp. We also found that 1 cup of sliced almonds was much more than what is needed. A half cup of sliced almonds is more than enough. You can find the recipe with my tweaks below.
Recipe from Mommy Ramblings -http://www.MommyRamblings.org
Now check out the Pup Star: World Tour Trailer:
Air Bud Entertainment, the proud creators of beloved family entertainment, including ‘Air Bud’ and ‘Disney Air Buddies,’ announces the biggest doggone adventure of the year, with an exciting all-new addition to the hugely popular PUP STAR live-action film franchise — PUP STAR: WORLD TOUR. Debuting on NETFLIX and Digital HD, May 5, 2018, the fantastic family film takes audiences around the world, as the action-packed spin on popular TV singing competitions goes global when ‘Tiny,’ the adorable singing Yorkie pup, packs her bags for far-away places from Africa to India and beyond. Along the way, Tiny and her fellow judges find a rich tapestry of fantastic new songs and meet exciting new canine singers, including ‘Julio, a Mexican heart-throb who’s not all he appears to be, but ultimately helps them discover that music really is the universal language that brings us all together as one pack, one voice, singing in harmony!
Featuring a soundtrack of paw-tapping new songs, PUP STAR: WORLD TOUR is the newest feature-length addition to the popular dog-filled PUP STAR family film franchise. The franchise launched in 2016 with overwhelming hit PUP STAR and continued in 2017 with PUP STAR: BETTER 2GETHER, which recently (3/23/18) had its world broadcast premiere on Disney Channel. Both films are currently available on NETFLIX.
The PUP STAR: WORLD TOUR global adventure reunites the film’s live-action cast including Makenzie Moss (Steve Jobs) as Tiny’s owner, Lou; David Deluise (The Wizards of Waverly Place) as her father, Denisse Ojeda as the family’s loyal nanny ‘Ida’; Reggie De Leon (Disney’s stage version of Aladdin) as her manager ‘Shep;’ and features the return of Jed Rees (Deadpool) as the delightfully bad ‘Roland.’
A tail-waggin selection of talent returns to provide voices for the film’s canine stars, including top music icon Ziggy Marley (as ‘Dog Gnarly’); John Ratzenberger voices ‘Grandpa Growl; YouTube sensation Mackenzie Sol (The X-Factor) returns as ‘P.U.P’; and 13-year old singing sensation Kaitlyn Maher (America’s Got Talent) returns as the voice of Tiny and sister Scrappy. The film also returns the voices of George Newbern, Diedrich Bader, Nikki Blonsky, Steve Valentine, Brian Hull and Jonathan Mangum. Exciting new vocal talents include Maulik Pancholy (30 Rock) as ‘Raji,’ the slumdog crooner from India; and Jorge Diaz (Disney’s Elena Of Avalor) as ‘Julio,’ the Mexican heart-throb.
PUP STAR: WORLD TOUR is produced by Air Bud Entertainment, the creative force behind the #1 live-action, direct-to-home movies in the family category. The film is directed by “Air Bud” and “Disney Air Buddies” veteran Robert Vince, produced by Anna McRoberts and written by Robert Vince.
About Air Bud Entertainment
Air Bud Entertainment is the premium brand for live action family movies and TV series. The Company has created over 22 family movies and five movie franchises that are licensed around the globe including the five Air Bud movies; seven Air Buddies movies with two Santa Paws movies in partnership with Disney, along with the new four movie Pup Star franchise for Netflix. ABE also recently announced its new series Puppy Prep Academy with Disney Channel in the U.S.
Stay In The Loop with AirBud On Social Media with the links below:
I have shown you before how to make easy marshmallow fondant, but this time I created a video tutorial as well. I am a very visual person and love being able to watch video tutorials. They help me immensely, so I decided to try to do as many as I can to help others.
Marshmallow fondant is very inexpensive to make and taste so much better than the premade fondant you can buy in the store. To make this marshmallow fondant, you will need:
You can watch the video tutorial below:
The thing I like about this fondant is that when you use your stand mixer, you can add enough powdered sugar so that it is fairly easy to knead right out of the bowl. It comes together into a workable fondant very quickly.
It is also very easy to color this fondant with gel food coloring. I have another video that shows how easy you can color this marshmallow fondant. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel so that you will know when it is live.
Let me know if you try this recipe, and how it worked out for you.
When you have a tribe of kids like I do, it can be hard to just get away with my husband. I know it is important, but sometimes, it is just not possible. We tend to embrace the time we do get alone together, no matter when it occurs. I guess, it is good that I am a, “fly by the seat of my pants” kind of girl. With Valentine’s Day coming up, I thought I would highlight some things you can do as a family to celebrate your own house full of love.
Bake Something Sweet
Set aside to bake some sweet treats. It does not have to be a complicated recipe. It should be something everyone can take part in. It can be as simple as opening up a box of cake mix and making some cupcakes. Let the kids take turns adding the ingredients and then pour the batter into some festive Valentine’s Day cupcake liners.
Make a simple buttercream frosting, or if you are so inclined, open up a can of ready-made frosting. I know it might get messy, but let the kinds help you frost the cupcakes. I like to pipe my frosting on, so it can be fun to let kids try that. Have some fun showing them the different tip patterns and let them take a guess as to what kind of design it will create.
To top your cupcakes, use candy conversation hearts, red, pink or purple sugar crystals, sprinkles, cinnamon candies or a milk chocolate heart placed in the center.
If you would rather make a cake, use heart shaped cake pans to make it fun. If you love baking like I do, you can find all kinds of festive cupcake liners, baking pans and decorative accents online or in your favorite store.
Make homemade cards for each other
Sit down at the kitchen or craft table with an assortment of cardstock, construction paper, markers, decorative paper punches, ribbons, stickers, crayons, paper lace doilies, glue sticks and scissors and craft homemade cards for each other. Have your child write a poem and print it out. Then glue the poem to the inside of the card. There are so many great ideas on sites like Pinterest for inspiration.
Make a Fun Family Video or Photo Slideshow
Take all those great moments you have captured as photos or videos, and put them together to create a special slideshow or video. Editing software like Photoshop Premiere Elements 2018, makes it easy to make instant movies. You just put in the media, make some design choices and enjoy the results in minutes. You will love the way it turns out, and people will think you spent hours editing. If you don’t have that software, there are many other programs that will work. You probably already have something on your computer to do it. When finished, you can share it on social media, as well as, cast to your TV for everyone to enjoy together.
Make A Coupon Book
Cut out some dollar bill size strips of construction paper and then staple 10 together to form a coupon book. Give everyone a book and let the make coupons for things they would do for someone. Kids could offer to clean the bathroom, take out the trash, walk the dog etc. When everyone is finished, put the books in a bag or box and let each person pull out a random coupon book. If they pick their own, have them put it back and try again.
Have A Special Valentine’s Day Family Meal
Sit down together, and plan the menu for a special Valentine’s Day Breakfast or Dinner. Some breakfast ideas are heart-shaped waffles or pancakes. Dinner can be simple or elaborate. A heart-shaped cookie cutter can be used to create sandwiches in the shapes of hearts.
When you have decided on a meal and menu, assign everyone a part and work together to create a meal with love you can all share. Make your table super festive with Valentine’s Day linens and fun paper roses that the kids will have a blast making.
I hope these ideas gave you some inspiration on you can celebrate the love of your family this Valentine’s Day. Let me know some of your best family ideas for celebrating Valentine’s Day.
If you are looking for a tender, cake-like cookie that is not too sweet, but has a delightful lemon flavor that makes it perfect to pair with coffee or tea, this Italian Ricotta Cookie recipe will be one you want to try. These cookies are always a hit at our house. I even made 2 batches during Christmas in order to have some for my daughter to take back with her.
They are such a festive looking cookie to bake during Christmas and New Year’s, but you can make them any time of year. If you want, you can tint the icing with food coloring. Some people like to tint it red or green for Christmas. You could tint it pink or blue for baby showers or gender reveal parties as well. I prefer white and just change the colors of the nonpareils or sugar sprinkles I use if I want to make them a bit different.
It is very important to use whole milk ricotta when baking these cookies, part skim does not taste the same. Also, be sure to cool the cookies on cooling racks before icing them. Never frost a hot or warm cookie. The recipe says to chill the dough, but if you are pressed for time, I have made them without chilling the dough and they came out fine.
1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk (use as needed to think icing to correct consistency)
Instructions
Cream the 2 sticks of butter with sugar until fluffy with electric mixer. Add ricotta, lemon zest, vanilla extract and mix well. Add in eggs, one at a time. Scrape sides of bowl and then begin to slowly mix in flour, one cup at a time. Add baking soda and salt and mix until blended. If you want you can chill dough for several hours or overnight. You can also bake immediately.
Scoop with a cookie scoop and place about 2" apart onto a non-stick baking sheet liner or parchment paper. Bake cookies at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom. Remove cookies and let cool on wire rack.
To make icing, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and whisk into the confectioners sugar with lemon juice, add enough milk to make a spreadable icing. Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread icing onto top of cookies and sprinkle with sprinkles, nonpareils, decorative sugar or other decors. Let cookies set until icing is hard.
I have been making these mini cheesecakes for my family for over 20 years. If I didn’t make them, my kids would be crushed, because it is one of my traditional dessert recipes that I bake for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day, Easter and other special occasions.
They are very easy to make, and they are such a hit because you can top them several different ways which makes them even more appealing. If you are looking for a mini cheesecake recipe that is easy and delicious, you found it! This tried and true recipe is posted for you below.
This recipe is supposed to make 18 mini cheesecakes, but there is always enough filling for a few more, so I add the crumb mixture to 3 or 4 additional, lined muffin cups. I hope you give this recipe a try, I think you will really like them.
• 3 Softened 8 Ounce Packages of Softened PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese
• 3/4 Cup of Sugar
• 2 Tsp. of Pure Vanilla Extract
• Zest of 1 Fresh Lemon
• Fresh Lemon Juice (I use the juice from ½ of the lemon)
• 3 Large Eggs
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter; press evenly onto bottoms of 18 lined muffin cups. I always have enough mixture for more than 18 cheesecakes so I put the mixture into at least 21 lined muffin cups. Put these into the oven for 5 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
Raise oven temperature to 350°F.
Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Fill your muffin cups about 3/4 of the way with this mixture.
Bake 20 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 3 hours.
Before Serving top each cheesecake with about a tablespoon of the pie topping. You could also top with whipped cream and fresh berries, fruit preserves or jam.
Wow, the weather has taken a serious dip in the Northeast. Tomorrow is going to be absolutely frigid, the morning will feel like 7 below 0 degrees F. The only bright spot is that next week, we should be back to more seasonable temperatures.
When the weather gets colder, I get into the mood to make hearty meals that stick to your ribs and warm you up. I love a good pot roast, beef stew, pasta fagioli and other flavorful stews and soups, on cold winter days.
If you have been following Mommy Ramblings for a while, you will remember my posts about the best way to cook hearty soups and how to make the perfect beef stew. The right cookware, and the way you cook, really make a difference in how your recipes turn out. I love trying new things in the kitchen and, I have always wanted to try cooking in a Tagine.
A Tagine is a cooking vessel that is used to cook food at a low temperature, for a long time. The unique shape of the Tagine lid allows steam to circulate, which works to keep all the ingredients tender and moist. This kind of vessel and cooking method, works so well with dishes like pot roast. The end result is that type of meat that just falls apart so beautifully, and melts in your mouth.
I just finished cooking my second pot roast in my Emile Henry Tagine, and I don’t think I will cook pot roast any other way. There are so many great recipes you can make in a Tagine. My daughter loves cooking chicken tagine. Any type of recipe that you can cook at a low temperature for a long time, will turn out well.
There are many different kinds of Tagines on the market, but I prefer the Emile Henry Tagine. This Tagine is made of their Flame Ceramic and can be used directly on the heat of the stove or in the oven. This is perfect, because I love starting off on the stove cooking my onions and garlic, browning my meat, and then transferring it all to the oven, to cook for several hours.
You can see the video I made the first time I used the Emile Henry Tagine to make pot roast
We love the Emile Henry Tagine so much, which is why you will find it on Mommy Ramblings’ 2017 Holiday Gift Guide. A gift of Emile Henry Cookware, is a gift any cooking enthusiast will treasure. I know, I certainly do! My Emile Henry Cookware and Bakeware are staples in my kitchen, and they make cooking and baking for my family and friends, easier and better than ever.
Giveaway
Emile Henry, is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One Lucky Blog Readers will win a set of Emile Henry Ramekins #9 in Burgundy! Thank you to Emile Henry for the review Tagine and for sponsoring this amazing giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.
Emile Henry Set of 2 Burgundy #9 Ramekins Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
Enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!
Hello, I’m Carolyn! I am a PR Savvy, WAH Mom to 5! I love Photography, Baking, DIY Projects, Crafts, Cooking and making memories with my family. I love sharing reviews and giveaways too!
