Sparkling White Grape Juice

My girls love sparkling grape juice, but that stuff is so expensive! We usually treat them to a bottle every New Year's Eve, but I still grit my teeth at the almost $4 per bottle price tag. A friend passed along this recipe that is much cheaper and tastes just as good as the pricey brand name bottles. We did a trial run the other day, and we couldn't even tell the difference between the two. I even used store brand juice to save even more cash! Win, Win!

Ingredients:

1 64oz bottle chilled white grape juice
1 2 liter bottle chilled lemon lime soda (we used 7 up)
1 and 1/2 cups chilled white cranberry juice (or if you prefer a pink hue, use red cranberry juice)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients. Serve immediately.

Pay Dirt Company Official GOLD RUSH Panning Kit Review

When I was a kid, I remember having wild fantasies about buying a metal detector so I could find buried treasures. I had big plans for all the goodies that I was going to uncover! I never did get that metal detector, but the idea of stumbling upon a fortune some day still flits into my fantasies from time to time. I have a feeling that I’m not the only one who has dreams of striking it rich. Modern day treasure hunters have been making waves on the Discovery Channel, in the television series GOLD RUSH. The show follows The Hoffman Gang, a group of 6 men, around Porcupine Creek in Alaska as they mine for gold. All rookies at the gold rush game, each man is laying it all on the line in hopes of striking it rich to turn their own personal financial situations around. GOLD RUSH is the #1 Friday night show on the Discovery Channel.

While many tune in to live vicariously through The Hoffman Gang’s discoveries, now you can have your own little mini gold rush adventure. Want to strike gold through the comfort of your own home? With the Official GOLD RUSH Panning Kit from the Pay Dirt Company, you’ll be panning for gold like a pro without having to step foot in a gold mine!

We were recently sent a Pay Dirt Company Official GOLD RUSH Panning Kit to pan for our own gold. My kids were stoked to get the chance to find some gold, they couldn’t wait to open the kit! Included in the box:

- Professional gold pan
- 1 pound bag of PayDirt with genuine gold—most kits contain small amounts, while others have up to $500 worth of gold hidden inside
- Snuffer bottle for extracting gold from the dirt
- Vintage vile to store their treasures
- Certificate of authenticity

 Follow these very important steps before you start panning for gold:

Step 1- Go to www.PayDirtGold.com

Step 2- Create your PayDirt Gold membership account, which will get you registered for future benefits and sweepstakes.

Step 3- VERY IMPORTANT! Watch the “How to Pan for Gold” video hosted by Parker Schnabel from the hit show GOLD RUSH. *This is a very important step to ensure you will find gold in your kit!*

After watching the video, we got down to business! Half the fun was the anticipation of figuring how much gold we were going to find in our kit. While I certainly didn’t think we were going to find much, my daughter was busily jabbering on about all the gold she was going to find. Wondering if it would be best to save it for a rainy day or spend it on some frivolous luxury items. We started the process of dumping the PayDirt into the gold pan. We then filled a plastic tub with water, dipped in the panning kit, then started shaking that baby! We dipped, shook, poured. Repeat, repeat, repeat. I was so nervous about losing the gold in to the filthy tub water, it probably took me longer than necessary to complete the process. My arms were pretty tired by the time we reached the black sand, but once we saw the flecks of gold, JACKPOT! The tired arms were worth it over the excitement my girls got over seeing their treasure sitting in the bottom of the pan.

We used our tweezers (not included in the kit) and started plucking out the gold, then depositing each piece into the glass vial for safe keeping. A few more dips and shakes, and we recovered about 11 flecks of gold in total.

While it wasn’t enough for a lavish vacation, the process of panning for gold was a really fun experience for us to share together. My daughter now proudly shows off her real gold to everyone who visits.

Through the process of salting, where gold is added to each bag, each kit is guaranteed to have some gold included, though amounts will vary. The Official Pay Dirt Company GOLD RUSH Panning Kit can be purchased at https://paydirtgold.com for $39.95. Additional 2lb. bags of PayDirt can also be purchased for $29.95 each.

If you would like to learn more, visit the PayDirt Gold Company website. 

Have you ever tried your luck at panning for gold?

*Disclosure- I received the above mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was provided. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

Gingerbread Houses

Our city hosts a gingerbread house contest every year. Of course, I don't participate because my gingerbread house making skills are non existent. I do love to go downtown and take a peek at the creations that others come up with each year though. I have to say, we have some very talented folks living in my city!

While it didn't specifically state that the theme had to be Christmasy, most of the designers base their creations off the holiday. So, we were a little confused by this Halloween house:

Cute, for sure, but a little passed the season to get any votes from us.

Here were some of my favorites this year:

And my two favorites, which did place Grand Prize and First Place, were definitely deserving of the awards!

Which one is your favorite? Does your town put on a gingerbread house competition each year?

Wordless Wednesday~ Rudolph

This week I am not including a linky on the Wordless Wednesday post as I will be busy for the next few days spending time with my family. I will not be able to return the linky love. I will see you all again in a few days. I want to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas!

5 Days of Holiday Goodies! Day 5 ~ Pecan Turtles

My niece is a huge fan of those DeMet's pecan turtles, and looks forward to receiving them in her stocking every year. While tasty they are, they are awfully expensive for the small amount you receive. So, we make homemade pecan turtles to include in the cookie box we give her every year, and she thinks they are just as fantastic as the store bought ones!

Ingredients:

12 ounces unwrapped soft caramels (we really love the Werther's Baking Caramels!)
2 tbs milk
6 ounces pecan halves
8 ounces semi sweet chocolates, chopped
1 tbs shortening



Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toast pecan halves on a baking sheet for 8 to 10 minutes.

Line another cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray. Arrange pecan halves in groups of 4 onto the oil sprayed sheet in an X pattern.

Unwrap caramels and place in a heavy pot with the milk. Cook over low heat until all caramels are melted.

Allow caramels to cool, then spoon caramel over pecan clusters, leaving the ends sticking out.

Melt chocolate and shortening in a heavy pot, over low heat, stirring frequently. Once melted, spoon chocolate over the caramel and nut layers, covering both as much as possible.

Allow candies to cool completely to set. Using a spatula (preferably metal) transfer them to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator. Eat cold or at room temperature.

5 Days of Holiday Goodies! Day 4~ Gingerbread Fudge

A few years back I made some gingersnap cookies to pass out for holiday gifts. While they were so delicious, they were a real pain to make! Too sticky and too much work, I said never again! But I do love gingerbread, so going a holiday without anything gingerbread flavored is unacceptable to me. Since cookies are pretty much out, Gingerbread Fudge sounded like a great alternative. I think gingerbread is either a love it or hate it flavor. My husband hates it, so he passes on the fudge. I love it, so that works out well. More fudge for me :)

Ingredients: 
 

3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

12 oz white chocolate chips

2  tsp ground ginger

1/2  tsp cinnamon

1/2  tsp nutmeg

colored candy sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

Pour the condensed milk and white chocolate chips into a heavy saucepan and heat over low, stirring frequently until the chips are melted and completely mixed with the milk

Add the the ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg, combining thoroughly.

Mix in desired amount of sprinkles. Don’t stir too long or the color will bleed into the fudge mixture!

Transfer to an 8×8 inch foil lined baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. 

Place mixture into the refrigerator to firm.

Once set, cut into cubes. Store leftovers in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, or in the refrigerator.

SOL REPUBLIC x Motorola Tracks AIR Wireless Headphones Review & Giveaway!

I am a horrible singer. Absolutely dreadful as one overly critical television music talent judge would say. But that doesn’t stop me from having a strong love of music. I can’t imagine a day that goes by that I don’t have some kind of music playing. I need it on when I am cleaning the house, exercising, and of course, baking my holiday cookies. There’s just something about the feelings you get when you are listening to your favorite songs. It can get your body moving, take you on an escape, or bring back sweet memories. I grew up listening to all kinds of music, so narrowing down a favorite song or genre would be difficult. However, I do have certain genres that I turn to for various activities, depending on my mood. You will most likely hear some 80’s tracks when I clean, rap and hip hop when I exercise, country when I cook, and Disney or pop tunes when riding in the car with my girls.

Since music is such a huge part of my daily life, I want to hear it at it’s best all the time. My husband bought me a cutesy pair of earphones last year because they had a fun character on them that he thought I would like. The character was about all they were good for. The sound quality was terrible, with static coming through every time I moved, and muffled sounds where the instruments should have been clear. Those headphones lasted about a week before they went into a junk drawer, where they still sit untouched today. Since then, I have been slowly been doing research for a high quality pair of headphones, and think I have found the winner in SOL REPUBLIC Tracks AIR Wireless headphones.

New to the market, in just 2 short years SOL REPUBLIC is proving to be the leader as one of the fastest growing lifestyle brands in headphones. The brand is known for delivering high quality products, but at a price most consumers can afford. SOL REPUBLIC has teamed with Motorola to bring you Tracks AIR. An innovative pair of headphones that will deliver an exceptional sound experience when you put them on.

“Wireless headphones often lack the music experience found in their wired counterparts. Thanks to the A2 Sound Engines, Tracks AIR delivers a music experience that has solid bass, clean mids and vocals, and extended highs. Developed specifically for Bluetooth audio, the A2 Sound Engines are also very power efficient so you can have volume and bass punch without additional battery drain.”

SOL REPUBLIC generously send me a set of Tracks Air Wireless headphones to review. What I first noticed was the the sleek design, even before taking it out of the packaging.

Upon opening the box, I was pleased to see they took preventative measures to keep the headphones scratch free with a protective covering.

The logo was classy, not gaudy or big, so it doesn’t draw too much attention to your head. Connecting the earphones to the headband was a breeze. Just slide the headband into the earphone slot and you're done. It goes in super easy, and the earphones slide effortlessly up and down the band to make adjusting to your size a cinch.

The headband bends very easily to put over your head, and made with darn near indestructible material, you don’t have to worry about it snapping if you pull too hard. Though I would not recommend yanking it around to see if it will break, the headband could take a beating and still stay together. There is a soft, padded strip on the underside of the headband which makes wearing these extra comfortable. The earphones are nicely padded and covered with a soft material (I want to say vinyl, but I am not 100% here) with a thick padding on the inside, which cover your ears comfortably.

There are 3 buttons on the right earphone. The power button, volume control, and a multipurpose button good for things like answering your calls from your Bluetooth device. They are small enough to blend in with the casing, but easy enough to locate with the quick pass of a finger. The right earphone also has a Micro USB Charge Port, Wired Cable Jack, and 2 microphones on the underside.

 

Syncing the SOL REPUBLIC Tracks AIR with my wireless devices was way easier than I anticipated. I simply enabled the Bluetooth function on my device and it syncs automatically once the headphones are turned on. The sound quality is just unbelievable! I have been amazed at the clarity of the sound coming through! The bass booms, and I am hearing background instruments in songs that I never noticed before. I am rediscovering new sounds in all my old favorite songs! These work fabulously at blocking outside noises. When I am at the gym, I can usually hear their music playing while wearing my old earphones. With the Tracks AIR, I only hear my music.

What I love best about these headphones is that they are wireless. I like to run, and I have ruined 2 iPods by accidentally yanking on the cords when I swing my arms, resulting in my iPod flying across the gym and smashing on the concrete floor. I knew my next pair of headphones had to be wireless to prevent that from happening again, and these have fit the bill perfectly. Also, when I run, I have had issues with other earphones sliding off my head or out of my ears. The Tracks AIR stays in place during my entire run. At first, I worried about my ears getting too hot during my workouts because of all the cushioning in the earphones, but they do not hold heat in like I was expecting, so my ears stay relatively cool and dry during my workout. Weighing in at only 1.4 pounds, they are so lightweight, I hardly even notice they are on.

SOL REPUBLIC Tracks AIR headphones have a 15 hour battery life, which is twice as much as standard headphones, so you don't have to worry about losing power on long car trips or flights. The wireless range goes up to 150 feet while providing clear sound without having to tote around your phone or tablet. Also offered is dual connectivity, so you can connect two devices simultaneously, such as your phone, tablet or computer. Seamlessly answer a call while watching a movie on your tablet without having to disconnect devices. Swap from a movie on your tablet to your phone with the touch of a button. The duel-device connectivity allows you to easily switch back and forth without the hassle of disconnecting via Bluetooth and NFC pairing.

SOL REPUBLIC Tracks AIR headphones are perfect for anyone who wants crisp, clear sound when listening to music or watching their favorite shows. I love using mine at the gym, my teen daughter has been taking them to her room to rock out with, and my 10 year old likes to sit in the living room and watch a movie on my iPad without disturbing my husband while he watches football. Everyone in my family has found a way to incorporate Tracks AIR into their daily lives too!

  
What’s included in the box? 

1 Pair SOL REPUBLIC x Motorola Tracks AIR Wireless Headphones

USB Charging Cable, Single-Button Cable

Carrying Case

Owners Manual

These also come with a 1 year mfr. warranty, so you can be confident in your purchase.

SOL REPUBLIC Tracks AIR Wireless Headphones can be purchased at Best Buy for $199.99 with free shipping or in store pickup. If you are looking for a last minute gift for a movie or music lover, I would highly recommend the SOL REPUBLIC x Motorola Tracks AIR! SOL REPUBLIC also offers other high quality products, like the DECK- a wireless speaker, JAX in-ear headphones, TRACKS AIR on-ear wireless headphones, as well as many other great products!

To learn more, visit SOL REPUBLIC on their website!

WIN IT!

One lucky Theresa’s Mixed Nuts reader is going to win a pair of SOL REPUBLIC x Motorola Tracks Air Wireless headphones! Giveaway is open to residents of the US, 18+. NO PO Boxes will be accepted. The giveaway will run through 1/3/2014. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email or a new winner will be selected. **All entries are verified. Please make sure you are following all task guidelines you claim entries for. Failure to do so will result in your entry being removed from the form. Please enter on the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclosure- I received the above mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was provided. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

 

5 Days of Holiday Goodies! Day 3~ Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies used to be my favorite cookie, with peanut butter falling a close second. Then I made these oatmeal raisin cookies, which are now my current favorite! Whenever we have a job that needs to be done around the house, I pay my father in law in cookies. And these oatmeal raisin cookies are always his first request.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened. Real butter- not a spread
1 cup packed, light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp bakng soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup baking raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then sir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, walnuts and raisings. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 12 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Wordless Wednesday ~ My Girl

My baby will be 10 on Thursday. I'd like to ask all my blogging friends to join me in wishing her a Very Happy Birthday!

5 Days of Holiday Goodies! Day 2 ~ White Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

I know peanut butter balls tend to be a big hit with anybody who loves peanut butter. And combining peanut butter and chocolate was the best creation EVER! Am I right!? We always make peanut butter balls (or buckeyes as some would call them) for every holiday gathering and party because it's the most requested dessert, and always the first thing gone. While I usually make them with semi sweet chocolate, around the Forth of July I used white chocolate to coat them, and that's been asked for ever since. This year I put some white sugar sprinkles on top to make them look a little more snowball like, and to keep with the festive look of the season.

Ingredients:

1 16 ounce package of confectioners sugar
1 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter (real butter, not margarine or a spread)
2 tbs milk
8oz of good quality white chocolate
1 tablespoon shortening

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine confections sugar, peanut butter, butter and milk until blended. If mixture seems too crumbly, add in a little more milk until you reach a creamy consistency. Shape mixture into bite sized balls (mine are usually 2 bite size). Freeze balls for 1 hour.

While balls are freezing, cut chocolate into small pieces and place in top of a double boiler with shortening. Melt over medium heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Drop peanut butter balls into melted chocolate to coat, then lift out with a long tinned fork or scoop out with a dinner fork. Let drain on wax paper.

If you would like to sprinkle sugar on the peanut butter balls, do it while the chocolate is still wet. Otherwise, let chocolate cool until firm.

*These can be served at room temperature or refrigerated. My family likes them both ways, but have made comments that the cold ones always taste a little better*


Which do you prefer- peanut butter with dark chocolate or white chocolate?

Musical Monday~ Claymation Carol of the Bells

My mom used to record every holiday special that ever came on tv. I remember she would always be sitting in front of the VCR just waiting for a show to start so she could hit that record button. Oh, how far we've come since then! We didn't have much money back then, so we didn't have any cable channels, and renting a video was a rare treat. All year long we were entertained with Christmas movies mom taped, and the funny thing is, I loved them all! When my husband and I started the tradition of watching holiday movies with our girls, the first one I knew I wanted to buy was Claymation Christmas. It was such a favorite with great carols and the California Raisins. Remember those guys? Whatever happened to them? When we sat down to watch it a few years back, it wasn't as great as I remembered. Actually, almost the whole video sucked and my kids thought I was an idiot for making them sit through it. BUT, there was one skit on there that was my favorite back then, and still is to this day. It's the only reason we continue to pop that dvd in year after year. It's the Carol of the Bells clip that started my love of that song, and makes me giggle every time I watch it.

Today (when I get off my butt) I will be linking up with Joyce at Catch My Words for Musical Monday.

Have you ever seen the entire Claymation Christmas?

 

5 Days of Holiday Goodies! Day 1 ~ Soft Batch Sugar Cookies!

This is the time of year that I just love to get in the kitchen and whip up sweet treats to pass out to family and friends as holiday gifts. And I am going to allow myself to be a little big headed here, but my treats are always so well received that everyone looks forward to getting a box of my goodies! Year after year, I tend to stick with the most popular yummies, and I want to share my favorite holiday recipes for your baking pleasure :) For the next 5 days I will have a post of the goodies I tend to pass out each year. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family and friends do!

Soft Batch Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter *Real Butter, not margarine*

1/2 cup Crisco Butter Flavor shortening

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking poweder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

additional sugar if desired for sprinkling over cookies.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a mixing bow, cream butter, shortening and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well. 

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Gradually add to the creamed mixture.

Roll out dough to desired thickness. (Mine are usually around 1/4 inch thick.) Using cookie cutters, press firmly into the dough until the cookie has passed all the way through. 

Place each cut out on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes. *The cookies will look like they aren’t completely baked. This is when I like to pull them out, then let them finish baking on the cookie sheet out of the oven. You will get a much softer cookie this way! If you like, sprinkle additional sugar on cookies while they are still cooling. If you are going to ice them, skip this step.

Let cookies cool completely, then decorate with icing as desired. (I use the Royal Icing recipe found on Wilton's website)

 Enjoy!

What's your favorite cookie?

Puppy Party!

*Disclosure- This post contains affiliate links. Please see my policy tab for more information.


While her birthday isn't until the 19th, we had Allison's birthday party on Saturday. This year she decided on a puppy theme, which thrilled me because that's easy to work with!

I used my Silhouette Cameo to make a paw print banner.

We decorated mini water bottles with paw print labels.

Mini canvas goodie bags painted with paw prints was a different twist over traditional paper bags.

Dollar store puppies made a for a fun treat for each guest.

Of course, you need to have puppy themed food too! Dog bone cookies....

Pretzel puppy chew sticks...

I bought some dog bowls at the dollar store, then decorated them with vinyl stencils I cut out with my Silhouette Cameo . We filled the bowl with the cookies, Chex Muddy Buddies, and dog bone shaped graham crackers.

Best of all, you can't have a puppy party with out a kitty pinata to beat the heck out of!

                                      Overall, the party was a huge hit with 10 year old girls :)

NeoCell Beauty Bursts Review

My birthday is just a few weeks away, and I am going to be 34! While I find that I absolutely love being in my 30’s, I know that with each passing year I have to worry about the signs of aging. Since I was about 18, I have been very proactive about taking good care of my skin. I use facial creams religiously, but even I know that you can only get so far with creams and lotions. What you put on your body is just the half of it. You have to be conscious of what you put in your body too! I try to eat foods that are not only nutritious for my body, but provide health benefits for my skin, hair, and nails also. With my sweet tooth, some days it’s hard to maintain a diet that keeps me looking and feeling my best. But, on the days I tend to skimp, I’ve got backup in the form of NeoCell’s Beauty Bursts!

Having beautiful and radiant skin has never been so easy, or tasty! NeoCell Beauty Bursts are delicious soft chews that you eat daily. Each chew packs a punch of flavor, and delivers high absorption nutrients to the body. It provides:

Collagen Type 1 & 3 For Firm, Smooth Skin & Strong Hair & Nails

Hyaluronic Acid For Skin Hydration & Renewal

Vitamin C:  Collagen Enhancer

Each bag contains 60 soft chews, which should last a month when you take the recommended 2 chews per day. The chews contain 2,000 mg of collagen per serving (2 chews), that is beneficial to improving skin, hair, and nails. As we age, we lose collagen, and these chews are an excellent way of helping to replenish what aging takes away from us. Each chew is individually wrapped and stored in a zip top bag for ultimate freshness. The chews are actually kind of hard when you first put it in your mouth, kind of like a frozen Tootsie Roll, but within a few seconds it starts to soften and is really easy to bite into. They are not sticky/do not stick to your teeth when chewing. Each chew is really packed with flavor too! I would say there is more of a mint flavor over chocolate in the Chocolate Mint chews, but they were still really tasty! As much as I do love chocolate though, I preferred the Fruit Punch chews. The Fruit Punch Chews left a yummy after taste, and actually had me craving more! And at only 20 calories each, I don't feel guilty indulging in an extra piece or two. I have only been using the chews for a few weeks, so I haven’t noticed a dramatic change in my skin’s appearance, but my nails do feel stronger and I haven’t noticed them peeling like they normally do.

 

 

NeoCell Beauty Bursts are all natural, containing NO gluten, soy, palm oil, lactose, starch, yeast, wheat, or artificial flavors. Each 60 count bag has a MSRP of $19.99, but they are available online at Amazon for $15.40. You can also find them at local retailers in your neighborhood, such as Whole Foods, GNC, The Vitamin Shoppe, and many more!

If you would like to learn more about Beauty Bursts, or any of the other products in the NeoCell line, visit them on their website.

*Disclosure- I received the above mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was provided. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items. I am not a health care professional. I am simply sharing my results from using the product. Please consult with your doctor to see if this product is right for you.