I loooove Dove products, mostly because I always seem to get them for free :) Here’s another HOT coupon to grab: Buy one Dove Cream Oil Body Wash, Get one FREE. Dove has combined skin-loving oil with a smooth cream for their richest body wash yet!
To take advantage of this great offer, grab your coupon here.
It’s my twelve favourite holiday recipes countdown!
Is there a better comfort food than warm, sweet, sticky bread pudding? Especially during the cold winter months, this oh-so-good dessert pairs perfectly with mulled cider or chai latte. I recommend using day-old French bread, but any slightly stale bread will do. And if you’d like to put a twist on this already delish recipe, try substituting cinnamon raisin bread with vanilla or white chocolate chips. Heavenly!!!
INGREDIENTS
1 loaf day-old French bread, torn into small pieces
2 cups milk
2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup butterscotch chips
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine bread, milk, cream, brown sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and butterscotch chips; mixture should be the consistency of oatmeal. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven 1 hour, until nearly set. Serve warm or cold.
Can I have a Woot! Woot! for early Boxing Day deals! I’m not fanatical about Mexx but they do have super nice clothes for men and straight-up hot blouses for ladies. Beginning December 18th, their entire store is 50% off! Check out their line of accessories: fabulous clutches and funky cha-chunky necklaces :)
I like to eat. I like to eat food. I like to eat food that is generally safe and will not kill me or make me violently ill.
I LOVE spiced pecans. They’re party-perfect for munching and crunching. These pecans, delicately flavoured with savoury cinnamon and nutmeg, pack a subtle kick with the addition of cayenne pepper. Make a big batch for holiday parties and save the leftovers for a super delish salad – just toss mixed greens with raspberry vinaigrette and top with thinly sliced red onion, sliced strawberries, crumbled goat cheese and the spiced pecans. You’ll want to have a salad at every meal!
INGREDIENTS
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
3 cups pecan halves
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
In a medium bowl beat the egg white with the water. Stir in the pecans, mixing until well moistened. In a large Ziploc bag, mix together sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Add the nuts and give it a good shake. Spread nuts on prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Store in a glass jar for up to one month.
Maybe you need a quick, delish dessert in a hurry. Maybe you want a crowd pleaser that doesn’t take hours to prepare and bake. Or maybe you can’t bake. If this sounds like you, then this is the recipe you’ve been waiting for. The prep time is under 10 minutes and the end result is an insanely sweet & tart cheesecake with a velvety smooth texture. For this cake, my favourite citrus flavouring is lime… but if you’re not partial to puckering up, lemon is exceptionally tasty as well (and not as tart). I bring this no-bake cheesecake to every Christmas potluck and it’s always a huge hit!
Dissolve Jell-O with 2/3 cup boiling water in large glass bowl. Blend in cream cheese with a hand mixer on low speed. Fold in lemon juice and Cool Whip. Pour over crust; smooth top. Chill 4 hours. Serves 12.
It’s my twelve favourite holiday recipes countdown!
Who knew truffles were this easy to make? Absolutely perfect for holiday gift giving – ah! the joy of receiving decadent chocolate goodness! – you can decorate these little treats any way you please. Let your imagination go wild (and perhaps let your belt out a few notches). After all, you’ve been a good little elf this year!
Mmm… chocolate.
INGREDIENTS
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, melted
2 tbsp half and half cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate, cream and vanilla until no streaks remain. Refrigerate for about 1 hour. Shape into 1 inch balls.
(To flavor truffles with liqueurs or other flavorings, omit vanilla. Divide truffle mixture into thirds. Add 1 tablespoon liqueur (almond, coffee, orange) to each mixture; mix well.)
Roll truffles in ground walnuts, cocoa powder, flaked coconut, confectioners’ sugar, candy sprinkles, etc. Makes 24-30 truffles.
It’s my twelve favourite holiday recipes countdown!
The easiest and perhaps sexiest dessert ever. Thick, delectable chocolate spilling out from a rich, sweet cake. I can’t tell you how many times friends and family have hinted, requested (and even begged) that I make this dessert. If you have Bakers Chocolate Squares on hand, chances are you’re ready to make this sinfully delicious concoction.
WARNING: This dessert will make you incredibly popular at absolutely every potluck you attend from here on in. Please don’t say I didn’t warn you :)
INGREDIENTS
½ cup salted butter
4 squares Bakers Semi-Sweet chocolate
2 large eggs
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons flour
4 ramekins
Garnish:
1 (6 ounce) container raspberries, barely moistened and rolled in about
½ cup sugar right before serving
DIRECTIONS
Melt butter and chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl in microwave for about 1 minute. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and sugar with a hand mixer until sugar dissolves. Beat egg mixture into chocolate until smooth. Whisk in flour until just combined. Divide batter among 4 ramekins. (Batter can be made up to a day ahead and refrigerated; return to room temperature an hour or so before baking.)
Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 450 degrees. Bake in ramekins (placed on cookie sheet) until batter puffs but center is not set, 10-12 minutes (I usually bake for exactly 11 minutes). DO NOT OVERBAKE. Carefully lift ramekins and transfer to dessert plates.
Place sugared raspberries around the ramekin and serve immediately. Serves 4.
I remember eating Special K when I was 6 years old. Even then I knew it was a pale imitation of Rice Krispies, with less sugar = less yummy goodness. On rare and special occasions, I jazzed it up with sliced strawberries or banana. But usually I just stirred it around the bowl until it became a soggy, soupy mess (what’s so special about that?), and then promptly informed my mom I was done eating (at which point I was forced to finish it). Ah, memories. I hate Original Special K.
Today is the day to rip off the apron and enjoy every little moment with the ones you love! So to complete my Christmas recipe countdown, I’ll be squeezing, kissing and cuddling up to the best present under my tree.
Here’s Ryder last Christmas:
And a photo taken last night:
I can’t believe what a difference one year makes. I have tears in my eyes as I type this! (And yes, you can witness his freakishly large feet in all their glory.
Mike is very, very proud, LOL.)
A very Merry Christmas to my readers and your families! May you experience all the joy the season has to offer. I’ll be back on Monday, December 28th… until then, don’t forget to leave Santa your home baked cookies and milk!
If you have school-age children or know someone who does, grab a copy of Chapman’s 2009 Calendar. Order your free copy here.
Since I love trying new face candy, I couldn’t help but snap up a tube of Dior’s “DiorShow Iconic Mascara”. Touted as the best mascara on the market, I dismissed its $34.00 price tag with hopes of lashes galore. Yet as I walked away with my purchase, a tidal wave of doubt flooded my senses. Did I really need to spend close to $40 on mascara? Is it really so superior to drugstore products? Couldn’t I just be happy with tried and true Maybelline? What ever happened to Paradise Hotel?
Click on the above picture to enlarge; I’ve labeled the end result for your convenience. You can take a peek now or read the review first; your choice.
DiorShow: Iconic mascara features an oblique cut brush that gives an extra lash-curling effect. With its long, skinny teeth, the plastic comb brush allows you to precisely coat each lash one-by-one-creating a long, separated fan of lashes that usually takes the skill of a makeup artist.
With so many F&F’s happening this weekend, it’s once again time to do a combined post on Where to be for stuff under the Tree! (soooo nerdy, I know!) I personally will not be attending any of the sales, as this elf has already crossed everyone off her list… woot woot! Keep in mind that most stores will be having some sort of promotion this weekend, so be a smart shopper!
Aldo Shoes: 10% off your in-store purchase with this coupon.
American Eagle: 20% off everything in store with this coupon.
The Bay: An additional 10% off everything in store (see exceptions here) or an additional 15% off everything if you use your HBC credit card.
Jean Machine: 25% off everything in store.
La Senza: Online purchases only, Buy 1 Get 1 FREE on select products. If paying with Visa use code VISA2008C to get a further 20% discount.
Please Mum: No tax this weekend for in-store purchases.
RW&CO: 20% off everything in store. Thanks to Vic for this phat find!
Sears.ca: Online purchases only, an additional 50% off outlet toys with bonus code 941612112.
Suzy Shier: 20% off regular merchandise and 50% off sale merchandise.
…yes this is a post about “that time”. You know, when Aunt Flo visits. Or whatever name you’ve given your very unwelcome friend (“George” in my case – I know, inappropriate and weird).
It sucks, and there’s no way to make it better. However, I can help make it better on your wallet, which will in turn make more cash available to spend on craving-induced chocolate!
These are limited-time coupons so you’ll have to act quickly :)
Aunt Flo Helper 1: Print off your $2.50 off coupon for Stayfree products. Take your coupon to Zellers, who have Stayfree on sale for $2.47 the week of December 5th to 11th, and get them FREE. Or, take your coupon to Walmart at any time, grab Stayfree for $2.87 every day, and get them for only $0.37. (I printed off 6 coupons, took them to Walmart last week, and bought 6 packages of pads for $2.22. Still a crazy good deal, but wish I knew about Zellers’ upcoming sale at that time!)
Aunt Flo Helper 2: Print off your $5.00 off coupon for Advil products. Take your coupon to Walmart, who retail Advil Extra Strength 32 Caplets for $4.67, and get them FREE.
Aunt Flo Helper 3: If you’re not an Advil advocate, print off your $3.00 off coupon for Tylenol products. Take your coupon to Walmart, who retail Tylenol (small size, not sure exactly how many) for $2.97, and get them FREE.
And, in case you’re wondering about all these printed coupons, Walmart’s coupon policy, found on their website, explicitly states that they do indeed accept web coupons. So if a cashier gives you a hard time, ask him/her to consult the website and stop boring you with their ignorance. Ha!
Wal-Mart Coupon Policy
Wal-Mart accepts the following types of coupons (see guidelines below):
Manufacturer coupons (Cents Off)
Free merchandise (or manufacturer’s Buy-One-Get-One-Free) coupons
Store coupons
Pharmacy (Advertising and Promotional) coupons
Internet coupons
Soft drink container caps
