Skillet Bacon Jam Review

http://www.tomoson.com/?code=TOP2ad6024537d2a59e476cee0d869ae028

I had the opportunity to review a new product called Skillet Bacon Jam/Bacon Spread, I was a bit hesitate but ready to try anything having to do with bacon as my family consists of bacon lovers.


We had hamburger and fries night, so I decided to saute onions and use the Skillet Bacon Jam to saute them to top our burgers. I wish we had scratch-n-sniff blog posts, I can't tell you how good the house smelled with the onions sauting along with the Skillet Bacon Jam.

http://www.skilletbaconjam.com 

And just when we thought it couldn't get any better, we all assembled our hamburger buns as we all like and 3 of us in the family topped with the Skillet Bacon Jam onions.  The result was a FABULOUS tasting BACON Cheeseburger that tasted like it was right from the kitchen of a gourmet restaurant.

If you're a bacon lover like us, I highly recommend making Skillet Bacon Jam/Bacon Spread a staple in your kitchen!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Cinnamon Ornaments

Cinnamon Ornaments make a fun scented crafted for adults and kids alike.

Makes 12 to 15 ornaments.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 2 1/2 hours or 1 to 2 days drying time

3/4 cup applesauce

1 bottle (4.12 ounces) McCormick® Cinnamon, Ground

Supplies needed:

Cookie cutters

Drinking straw

Colorful ribbon

1. Preheat oven to 200°F. Mix applesauce and cinnamon in small bowl until a smooth ball of dough is formed. (You may need use your hands to incorporate all of the cinnamon.) Using about 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll dough to 1/4-inch to 1/3-inch thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap. Peel off top sheet of plastic wrap. Cut dough into desired shapes with 2- to 3-inch cookie cutters. Make a hole at top of ornament with drinking straw or skewer. Place ornaments on baking sheet.

2. Bake 2 1/2 hours. Cool ornaments on wire rack. (Or, to dry ornaments at room temperature, carefully place them on wire rack. Let stand 1 to 2 days or until thoroughly dry, turning occasionally.)

3. Insert ribbon through holes and tie to hang. Decorate with opaque paint markers, found in arts and crafts stores, if desired.

Test Kitchen Tip: If a different size bottle of cinnamon is used, measure 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cinnamon.

DO NOT EAT

For more recipes visit: McCormick's Website

Child Friendly Cooking with Barefoot Books

Today I wanted to share with you a favorite book of mine from Barefoot Books.  The book is called "Kids Kitchen" and has 40 fun recipes for you and your kids to make.  

Kids' Kitchen

40 Fun and Healthy Recipes to Make and Share

Step into the kitchen for some child-friendly fun with food. The forty recipes in this colorful deck are based around the five main food groups, and offer a healthy and exciting way to learn about cooking.

Ages 8 and up

Written By: Fiona Bird

Illustrated By: Roberta Arenson

Bringing kids into the kitchen is a great way to share family time, learn and practice math & science facts and so much more all while making yummy and healthy treats and meals.

Barefoot Books also offers a great opportunity to work from home too!

http://www.lunawolf.barefootbooks.com/

Looking for Vegetarian Recipes

My daughter is 15 years old and her name is Krystal.  You can see her in the pic above.  She recently has made the choice to become a Vegetarian.  I'm supporting her in this choice and her and I are both looking for Vegetarian and/or even Vegan recipes. 

If you have a Vegetarian or Vegan recipe you would like to share, please comment and be sure to include your blog url if you have one so we can let everyone know when we try the recipes and post the pic and our reviews.

Thanks for your help.

13 Ways to Use Cucumbers

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.
2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.
3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.
4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.
5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!
6.. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!
7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.
8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.
9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!
10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.
11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.
12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

Roasted Pepper & Tomato Soup

•2 Tablespoons butter



•2 Tablespoons flour


•16 oz can of whole tomatoes with Italian seasoning, undrained


•7 oz. jar of roasted red peppers, drained


•1 cup chicken broth


•6 oz. can tomato paste


•1 clove garlic, minced


•1 Tablespoon sugar


•1 Tablespoon dried basil or 2 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped


•Salt and pepper to taste






Melt butter in large saucepan. Stir in flour to make a roux and cook for about 2-3 minutes stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, red peppers, broth, tomato paste, garlic, sugar and salt and pepper. Cook until soup bubbles. Puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a standing blender.

Happy Halloween

Halloween & Samhain Blessings to all of our Mystical Kitchen readers.

Halloween Poem by Cartoon Cottage

Cranberry Pretzel Salad

My mom got this from a friend and is sounds yummy & refreshing for a winter, spring or summer dessert, will post pics when I make here.

Cranberry Pretzel Salad



Bottom Layer:

2 cups Crushed Pretzels

3/4 cups butter melted

1 Tbsp. sugar



Mix the above ingredients together and press into a 9X13 inch pan. Bake for 8 minutes on 350 degrees. Cool completely. (Sometimes I stick it in the refrigerator to hurry it along).



Middle Layer:

1-8 oz. pkg cream cheese (leave out until softened)

1-8 oz. tub of cool whip

1/2 cup sugar



Blend these ingredients together with a hand mixer. Spread on top of cooled crust.



Top Layer:

1 Large pkg. Black Cherry Jello

2 cans whole cranberry sauce (I used Ocean Spray brand)

2 cups boiling water



Mix together and cool. I put it in the freezer just to cool it down more quickly. Do Not let it set up. It needs to be liquid when put over the second layer. With a large spoon, carefully put cranberry jello mixture over the cream cheese layer. Carefully place in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours or until jello is set. I put it in uncovered and cover it once it is set up. Enjoy!

This recipe can also be made with mandarin oranges and orange jello or frozen strawberries (thawed) and strawberry jello.