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Online Blog Conference

October 31, 2012 · by · 3 Comments
ONBC

Recently, I participated in my second blog conference.  What made this one unique is that it was online.  The Online Blog Conference was a 3 day long conference that took place on my computer, my tablet and my phone.


I signed up for this conference for the following reasons:

  • no travel expenses
  • no hotel expenses
  • fits with my time schedule
  • great guest speakers
  • presentations are online so I can print out what I learn
  • I could have my dog with me (ok, not a reason, but he was with me at times)

The fun actually started last month when the online Facebook group was created. There were activities and contests and through our interaction over the last month, I have made some great connections with new blog friends and still chat and visit several daily.  Blog meetups also took place and the one that I am going to is coming up next week.

At this online conference there were discussions and presentations on many topics including:

  • blogger platforms
  • social media
  • link parties & blog hops
  • copyright
  • photography
  • posting
  • balancing blogging and family
  • blog design
  • working with sponsors

The bottom line is that this conference was so informative that I am still digesting it all.  The cost for this conference was less than the cost of a week worth of Starbucks and was so worth it!

Thank you to the Speakers: Jessica from How Sweet It Is, Christi from Love From The Oven, Shelly from Cookies & Cups, Camille from Six Sisters’ Stuff, Nikki from Chef in Training, Lexie from voiceBoks, Jamielyn from I Heart Nap Time, Kristyn from Lil’ Luna, Stephanie from Somewhat Simple.

Thank you to the sponsors Silpat, Simply Sweet Creations, Kitchen Meets Girl, My Memories, Vint Print, Six Sisters Stuff, Hello Love Designs and Hello Love Too, Kitchen Kneads, Naptime Creations, Pearlsand Petals, Primula, William Bounds.

But I especially want to give a big thank you to Dorothy from Crazy for Crust and Ashton from Something Swanky who were amazing and seemed to be present all hours of the day and night.

Thank you for an amazing time ~ Hugs,

Filed Under: Blogging, Frugal Fun · Tagged: , , , , ,

Easy Garlic Bread

October 29, 2012 · by · 16 Comments
Simple Bubbling Parm Bread

This weekend I made some simple cheese bread to go with some pasta.  Sometimes I make this with garlic and sometimes without, just to change it up.  It is a great alternative to rolls with dinner.  All you need are these simple ingredients (plus minced garlic which I forgot to put in the photo):

Ingredients garlic bread

French rolls

Mayonnaise

Minced garlic (prepared or flakes)

Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Salad Supreme spice mix

Take your sandwich rolls and slice in half.  Coat with a thin layer of mayonnaise.

Garlic bread mayo

Then spread minced garlic or sprinkle dried minced garlic.  Then sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese.

Garlic bread cheese

Add a sprinkle of Salad Supreme (it is with the spices in your market’s spice section).

Garlic bread Salad Supreme

Bake at 375 oven for about 6-8 minutes until cheese is bubbly.

Bubbling garlic bread

Serve as is or cut in half.  The flavors come together with the spices and makes a nice complement to soups, pastas and salads.

Simple Bubbling Parm Bread

Enjoy!

 

Signature

Filed Under: Recipes · Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Vivino

October 25, 2012 · by · 6 Comments
Vivino

Today I want to share with you a new app I just downloaded for my phone.  The name of the app is Vivino.

IMG_3110

This app is designed to help you make notes on wine you have tasted and enjoyed.  You simply scan the bottle label and the app lets you rate it and add notes.  Now, I really need this because I want to remember wines that I have had and I really do not have a good place to make notes.   I have saved a couple of wine labels in the past, but I have no idea where they are now so this is great for me.  It is also very easy to use and just takes a couple of minutes at most.

For example, here is a bottle of one of our favorites.  It is a wine from the Orin Swift Winery in Napa Valley called The Prisoner.

Wine bottle

Once I scan the bottle with my phone, the app does this:

IMG_3113

I rated it four stars and can add more notes if I want.  It will tell me how it ranks overall within the United States and within its region.   This would have come in really handy the other evening when I was at this place.

The app claims that it recognizes 500,000 wines and also lets you connect with you friends on Facebook.   This pretty much eliminates having to guess what some of your friends would love for a present doesn’t it?   On their website, you can see peoples notes from all over the world which is also pretty cool.

The best part is the app is free and is available for the iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows phones and the iPad.  However, you must be at least age 17 to download the app.

How do you keep track of beverages and dishes you enjoy?

Signature

 

Filed Under: Apps, Time Management, Time Saver Tip · Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

October To Do List

October 23, 2012 · by · 5 Comments
OCT

So we are now in the final quarter of the year.  This time of year, I look at my fall planning list (yes, I have one) and see what things I can plan for in advance of the holidays.  I want to share with you a list of things that you may want to consider adding to your to do list to help you be prepared for the next few months:

  • Make your holiday gift lists now.  Evaluate your list and determine if you want to change up gift giving traditions.
  • Put an extra jacket and umbrella in the car for you and your family.
  • Pick up your Halloween candy so that your market does not run out of the good stuff.
  • Organize your kitchen pantry so that there is room for the items you will be buying in the next couple of months.
  • Make or order holiday greeting cards.  Prepare your address list.
  • Decorate your home for fall if you have not already.  Even just a pumpkin will help you embrace the season.
  • Stock up on flu and cold medicine before you need them.  It will save you having to run out when it is inconvenient.
  • Order personalized gift items for the holidays so that you have plenty of time to process.
  • Test your smoke alarms to ensure they are working properly.
  • Donate coats, sweaters and boots that you and your family have grown out of to a local charity
  • Follow Organized Island so you do not miss an upcoming post.  I was just testing you to see if you read all the way to the bottom. but would love you to follow.

What would you add to this list?

Filed Under: Fall, Home Management, Planning Organization · Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

October 21, 2012 · by · 20 Comments
Apple rolls

Today my family and I celebrated my Mother and Father’s birthdays.  My father is a few days shy of being 90 and my mother is in her eighties.   We celebrated at my parent’s home in the house I grew up in.  It was a wonderful day and I am blessed that they are both in my life.  They both have health issues, but we were able to forget them today.   My mother asked for apple pie instead of cake so that is what we had for dessert.

Later that evening, I decided to continue with the apple theme and I made some apple cinnamon rolls.  It is a very simple recipe and uses the following ingredients:

 

 

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

3/4 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup crushed candied pecans

1 package crescent rolls

Icing

3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix te first four ingredients in a small bowl.

Open the crescent rolls and spread out the dough.

Spoon the applesauce mixture in a thin layer on top of the rolls.

 

Take a knife and slice the dough the long way, rolling up each strip.

 

Place each roll on the cookie sheet.

 

 

Bake on greased or coated cookie sheet for  10 – 12 minutes.

 

The applesauce and pecans will burst through the top of the rolls.   While rolls cool, mix icing ingredients.  Frost rolls after a few minutes of cooling.

 

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!  Did you go to any celebrations?

 

Filed Under: Recipes · Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Checking Out the New Store In Town

October 19, 2012 · by · 13 Comments
wine tasting

I had the opportunity to investigate a new store in Laguna Hills, California the other day.  I want to share it with you because with the holidays coming up, I think Total Wine is a great place to buy beverages, gifts and bar accessories.  If you are preparing for the holidays and want to make one visit to stock up on beverages, this is the place.

Now with a name like Total Wine, you might think they only sell wine, but this is not true.  Total Wine sells wine, beer, sodas, gifts and snacks. In fact, there is an entire aisle devoted to craft beer.

 

If you do not know a lot about wines, you can ask the wine associates for some assistance.  The associates can help you pick a wine to go with your holiday menu.  Generally, the lighter the meal, the lighter the wine.  That is why white wine typically goes well with fish and poultry and reds go great with beef and game.  That is not a hard and fast rule, just a guideline.

If you want to embrace your inner sommelier,  you can sign up for one of their classes.

 

The times of the classes and private wine tastings vary by location and price.  It was a wonderful session that I attended and Sue, our wine associate, was very knowledgable.   In addition to wine classes, they have beer classes and spirit classes.

The store also offers public tastings in their store for 10 cents.  Not 10 cents each glass, but that fee covers the entire tasting.  Check the store for times that this is offered.  The tasting center has a TV and is located towards the middle of the store.

 

Check the store for the tasting schedule.

 

The wines are nicely organized by country and domestic wines are organized by type.  Being a lover of all things organized, I found this especially helpful.  This makes it very easy when shopping with a list.

At the tasting, I especially loved the Radius red wine blend which is described as aromas of juicy rich black fruit, ripe cherry and hints of toasted vanilla oak.  It’s the bottle on the left in the picture above.  The best part is it sells for about $10 a bottle.

They also have a nice selection of soft drinks available.

 

 

Also for their grand opening, they were featuring some olive oils as well.

 

 

So there is something for everyone here at Total Wine.  I recommend you check them out if you are in the area.  Total Wine is in 13 states across the country, so you may have one near you.  The Laguna Hills store is located at 24001 El Toro Road, in Laguna Hills, California.

I was not compensated for this post, but did receive a store tour and wine tasting.

What is your favorite beverage?

 

Filed Under: Entertaining, Gift Ideas, Orange County Fun · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Cookies

October 18, 2012 · by · 18 Comments
Chip Happy

The other day I wanted to make some cookies for my son and he loves Reese’s peanut butter cups, so I decided to make my own version in a cookie.  So here is my recipe for Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chip Cookies.

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together butter, sugars and vanilla until combined.  Add eggs and mix together.  In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt.  Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients.  Add both chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.

 

Don’t they look happy together? Drop cookies onto greased or coated cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes.

 

 

 

They really do taste like a peanut butter cup in a cookie form! They also keep well in an airtight container.  I sent these to him at college through the mail and he said they tasted great.

 

What is your favorite candy? Have you had it in a cookie?

 

 

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