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The mission? Create an original recipe using the new White Chocolate Candy Corn M&M’s. Did I accept it? You know I did! I love cooking, baking and recipes. Game on! I WILL say that I have never been a huge fan of white chocolate, but I was so intrigued about how they would get candy [...]
The mission? Create an original recipe using the new White Chocolate Candy Corn M&M’s. Did I accept it? You know I did! I love cooking, baking and recipes. Game on! I WILL say that I have never been a huge fan of white chocolate, but I was so intrigued about how they would get candy corn in an M&M, I couldn’t resist trying them! As it turns out, I’ve apparently never eaten good quality white chocolate, before. I will probably never choose it over milk or dark chocolate, but my opinion has definitely been changed for the better, thanks to these new M&M’s. Other than the white, yellow and orange candy shells, I really didn’t get a sense of candy corn flavor. What did come through was the creamy texture of the white chocolate and the most delicate, citrusy orange undertone. I decided to maximize that in my recipe and it turned out amazing, if I do say so myself.
White Chocolate Candy Corn M&M Truffles! Beautiful AND Delicious!
This recipe is very simple, but elegant, and packs a huge flavor punch. It would be the perfect sweet on a buffet table at any fall gathering and an excellent secret indulgence for the grown-ups left at home, passing out Halloween candy! Let me show you how I created these delectable M&M treats.
Ingredients
- 2 cups White Chocolate Candy Corn M&M's
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 (8 oz.) blocks of cream cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia (or other orange flavored extract)
- 2/3 cup finely chopped White Chocolate Candy Corn M&M's
- 2/3 cup finely chopped Brown Sugar Pecans (or nuts of your choice)
- 1/3 cup Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa Powder
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
For the Truffle Centers
For the Truffle Coatings
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe bowl, stir together White Chocolate Candy Corn M&M's and the whipping cream, stirring until all M&M's are coated and the colored shells are beginning to dissolve.
- Microwave on full power for 2-3 minutes, checking and stirring every 30 seconds. What you're watching for is the shells to dissolve and the white chocolate centers to melt, so everything can be stirred together. You will end up with a beautiful, pale orange confection. It may have a few small remnants of crunchy shell, but don't worry. They will completely melt away in the next step.
- Mix the melted M&M's and the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy.
- Add the Fiori di Sicilia (or orange flavoring of your choice) and beat until it is incorporated into the creamy mixture.
- The mixture will be very creamy, but soft, so cover and pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour. You want to be able to work with it and roll it into balls.
- Once it had chilled, I used my cookie scoop to portion out each truffle and rolled them into round balls. The heat from your hand may soften these up a little and make them sticky, so it's easiest to roll all of them first, laying them out on waxed paper, and then coat them at the end.
- After the truffles are shaped, roll each one in your chosen coatings, being careful to thickly coat the truffle centers. I used chopped M&M's, chopped pecans and sifted together a mixture of equal parts cocoa and powdered sugar to make my coatings. You could experiment with other coatings, as well.
- Place your coated truffles on a wax paper covered cookie tray and stick them in the freezer.
- They will be ready to enjoy in 20-30 minutes and will keep in the freezer for several days, if you can control yourself that long. The centers never really freeze solid, but if your truffles have been in the freezer for more than a couple hours, let them set at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving, so you can enjoy the ultimate creaminess of these dreamy confections.
See how the cookie scoop allows me to create uniform sizes?
Chopping your coatings to a very fine consistency will improve coverage.
I love the contrast of the pale, creamy centers with the darker, textural coatings!
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http://busy-at-home.com/blog/delicious-truffles-made-with-white-chocolate-candy-corn-mms-a-great-recipe-for-fall/White Chocolate Candy Corn M&M’s are exclusive to WalMart, so you’ll want to hustle out to the nearest one to claim a few bags for yourself. I actually searched and checked back over a period of about two weeks, waiting for them to the hit the shelves. I looked at 3 different WalMarts, checking candy aisles, Halloween candy displays and end caps, expecting that “today would be the day” I would find them. Apparently, there was a small mix-up about the release date, and some areas are only now, receiving them. I got the excited call from my oldest daughter, on Monday. “They’re here!” So, be diligent, you may find them popping up in your local WalMart candy displays very soon. (If you’re interested in seeing my hunt for this elusive treat, you can check out my This Moment Slide Show.) I can’t wait to hear what you think they taste like and if you have a great idea for a recipe, using them, I would love for you to share!
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This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #MMsGetCorny #cBias As always, at Busy-at-Home, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own. The recipe is my own original creation and is entered in a contest where I have the chance to win $150.
This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday.
I had the most unique and delicious opportunity, last weekend, to partner with Eggland’s Best to raise awareness for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to celebrate some inspirational women in my life. When I was asked to be one of “Eggland’s Best Double Dozen” and host this party, it was an easy decision. I [...]
Eggland's Best "Pink" Eggs
I had the most unique and delicious opportunity, last weekend, to partner with Eggland’s Best to raise awareness for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to celebrate some inspirational women in my life. When I was asked to be one of “Eggland’s Best Double Dozen” and host this party, it was an easy decision. I have both friends and family members who are breast cancer survivors. My guess is that most any person you speak to could say the same thing; and the need to find a cure, once and for all, is obvious. Eggland’s Best has generously donated $100 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, in my name, and I am incredibly grateful, not only for that gift, but that Eggland’s Best steps to the forefront and moves the cause for awareness into the spotlight, even around our dinner tables. This is the second year in a row that their signature red EB icon will “go pink” on their eggs and include the SGK pink ribbon. For every dozen of their “pink” eggs sold, Eggland’s Best will make a donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, up to a total of $50,000!
Eggland's Best sent coupons, gifts and great products to make the Brinner and a Movie party a huge success!! I love those little ramekins and isn't the egg timer adorable? Some of these are the great prizes included in the giveaway set, below!
I was asked to build my guest list around women who inspire me to “do good in my community”. The total number of women belonging on that list exceeds any logical number for the guest list of a dinner party. I am definitely blessed with incredible, godly models in my life. As the idea of “Brinner and a Movie” began to swirl in my head, three women in particular came to mind. Yes, they have encouraged, cajoled and inspired me to get active in a project I never considered undertaking and actively argued against – becoming a leader in our church’s Jr. High Youth Group. They were 150% correct! I was definitely being called to serve in this area and it has blessed my life tremendously to be part of it. But, not only are these women inspirational and encouraging, these women would also have no problems showing up at my house in their pj’s, eating breakfast for dinner, laughing until our sides ached and just relaxing from the daily grind, while sharing my love of OLD movies in an all-night moviethon. Dinner would, of course, include their families (a fun assortment of men, women and children, numbering 14, in all), because that’s just the way we roll, but after that — GIRL’S NIGHT!!!! Now that’s a party!
It was bread baking day, today. Do you have any idea how good toast made from homemade bread is? AMAZING!
We had an extraordinary feast for our brinner, with Eggland’s Best eggs at the center. I love that no matter what else you serve with them, Eggland’s Best eggs are a healthy, delicious protein you can feel good about having in your diet. Eggland’s Best hen feed is a patented all-natural, all-vegetarian feed that contains healthy grains, canola oil, and an all-natural supplement of rice bran, alfalfa, sea kelp and Vitamin E. Hens that receive superior care and nutrition lay eggs with superior nutritional value. With only 70 calories per egg, Eggland’s Best eggs provide twice the Vitamin D and Omega-3 of other eggs, as well as 10 times the Vitamin E and lower saturated fat and cholesterol. That’s awesome! Getting the most nutrition for the calories we consume is important, since we already know that being overweight puts us at higher risk for breast cancer.
Eggland's Best eggs scrambled and ready to go into my cast iron skillet. Love that whisk!
Do we love pancakes? YES WE DO!!!
Well, I’m not going to kid you and tell you that we ate only healthy food at “Brinner and a Movie”, but with Eggland’s Best eggs as the star, our breakfast for dinner had a higher nutritional value than it would otherwise have had. Oh and for the record, it was DELISH!!!!! Early in the day I baked up our favorite bread (I’m giving you the recipe below.), so we had fresh homemade slices for toast. We scrambled eggs with diced red bell pepper and green onions and mixed in shredded cheddar cheese. I baked thick-sliced bacon in the oven and since one of the younger guests attending this party had already been promised pancakes by me, I whipped up two batches of this perfect recipe! Orange juice rounded out the menu and we ate as though we hadn’t eaten in days. The conversation was lively, loud and full of laughter and young and old enjoyed the fellowship. But once the dinner dishes were cleared away, the guys and kids vamoosed! And the movie marathon was on!
My friends love me and definitely love lounging in their pj's for a party at my house, but the bounds of their love DOES have limits. While I was not allowed to put pictures of their pj'ness on my blog, they happily allowed the pictures of their children devouring a delicious brinner!
I love, love, love old movies and classic “chick flicks” and the guests at this pajama party are die-hard fans, as well, which made it twice as fun. Who else would watch the entire five hours of Pride and Prejudice and THEN be all fired up to watch The Scarlet Pimpernel? IT. WAS. MARVELOUS. We all collapsed shortly after 4 am to get a few hours of sleep, only to rise and get in one more movie, Ladyhawke, before officially ending our party and re-entering the “real world”. It was just the fun and relaxation this busy wife and mom needed. I’m so grateful to Eggland’s Best for the opportunity and fun gifts they provided to make it possible.
The decor over our movie marathon snack bar!
The movie snacks line up and....
- The snack line-up wouldn’t have been complete without our favorite taco dip! Click this picture to get the recipe.
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Does Brinner and a Movie sound like an excellent “escape” to fun? One very blessed Busy-at-Home reader will have the chance to find out for themselves! Eggland’s Best is generously sponsoring a giveaway that includes: 2 Free EB Dozen coupons (Any variety- classic, cage-free, or organic), 1 Free EB Hard Cooked and Peeled variety coupon, 4 EB ramekins, 1 EB apron, 1 EB whisk, 1 EB spatula, 1 EB egg timer, 1 EB eco bag and 1 EB plush egg.
Giveaway Rules:
You must be 18 or older and a resident of the U.S. to enter. Mandatory Entry must be completed before any optional entries will count. Winner will be selected in a random drawing using random.org. Deadline to enter is midnight, (CST), Sunday, October 16, 2011.
Mandatory Entry:
Visit Eggland’s Best, and in a comment below, tell me something you learned that you didn’t know before.
Optional Additional Entries:
- Like Eggland’s Best on Facebook. Leave a comment below with your Facebook Name to let me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Eggland’s Best on Twitter. Leave a comment below with your Twitter handle to let me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Like Busy-at-Home on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Google Friends Connect. (click the JOIN button in the right-hand sidebar.) Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Subscribe to the Busy-at-Home Newsletter with this link or in the right-hand sidebar. You will receive an email confirmation with a link that must be clicked to confirm your subscription. Once you click the email link to confirm your subscription, leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- Tweet this giveaway (maximum of 1x per day, please). Win a Girl’s Night Out Giveaway! “Brinner” & a Movie @egglandsbest @busyathome #EBPink http://ow.ly/6HMKV Leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.
- Post this giveaway on your Facebook page. Win a Girl’s Night Out Giveaway! “Brinner” & a Movie @Eggland’s Best Eggs @Busy-at-Home http://busy-at-home.com/blog/brinner-and-a-movie-with-egglands-best-a-girls-night-giveaway-ebpink/ Leave a comment below with a link to your post.
This recipe makes 4 over-sized or 6 regular loaves. It is soft and delicious, perfect for sandwiches and toast and if you omit the optional grain mix, much less expensive than anything you can pull off the shelf at the store. It's our favorite everyday bread.
Ingredients
- 5 cups warm water
- 1 cup brown sugar or honey
- 2/3 cup olive or vegetable oil
- 6 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 cup wheat gluten
- 1½ t. sea salt
- 1/3 cup lecithin, granulated or liquid
- 3 Tbls. yeast
- 5 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup grain, seed and nut mix (optional)
Instructions
- Mix warm water, yeast, oil, and brown sugar.
- Add whole wheat flour, gluten, sea salt and lecithin. Mix thoroughly.
- At this point, I begin adding the white flour, one cup at a time. Humidity has a dramatic effect on bread dough, so the required amount of flour will vary based on that. I continue adding flour to the dough as the mixer is going. At the moment when the dough begins to pull cleanly away from the sides of the bowl, (The sides of the bowl will be completely clean, no dough sticking.) I stop adding flour.
- Add the grain, seed and nut mix, if desired. I use the Harvest Grain mix from King Arthur Flour. The bread is just as wonderful without it, but I am a texture fanatic and I love what the seeds and grain add to this delicious bread.
- Once, you have added the grain, set your kitchen timer for 7 minutes and let the Bosch do the kneading for you. If you are mixing and kneading by hand, you will want to knead this for about 10 minutes.
- Turn dough into a large, well-greased bowl. Cover with a warm, damp tea towel and leave to rise until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide into 4 equal portions. Shape into loaves and place in greased loaf pans. Cover with warm, damp tea towel and allow to rise until doubled.
- Bake in 350° oven for 40 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when the top is thumped. It will be hard to buy a loaf at the store after you taste this yummy bread! Enjoy!
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http://busy-at-home.com/blog/brinner-and-a-movie-with-egglands-best-a-girls-night-giveaway-ebpink/I received coupons, a gift card and the gifts listed above, in order to organize and buy supplies for the Brinner and a Movie party and promote breast cancer awareness. No monetary compensation was received for this post and a positive review of the product was not required. As always at Busy-at-Home, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.
You don’t need to buy specialty cleaning and household products when you can just utilize common household products, that you already have on hand, to do the job, instead. I have collected so many great cleaning and DIY tips on the Internet, that I decided it would be nice to have my favorites all in [...]
You don’t need to buy specialty cleaning and household products when you can just utilize common household products, that you already have on hand, to do the job, instead. I have collected so many great cleaning and DIY tips on the Internet, that I decided it would be nice to have my favorites all in one place and share them with you, at the same time. Did you know…
- If you put a small piece of tape on the spot where you will hammer a nail into the wall, it will keep your paint from chipping, as you drive the nail in.
- You can dust hard to reach corners and shelves by setting your blow dryer to cool and blowing the dust right off them and into an area you can easily reach.
- Loose screws in your pot and pan handles can be tightened by removing them first, brushing them with clear nail polish, letting them dry and then reinserting them. The pot handles will be snugged up and the polish will help prevent the screws from rusting.
- Coffee filters, placed in the bottom of pots for house plants, allow water to drain through the drainage hole, but keep soil inside the pot.
- You can keep squirrels from raiding your bird feeders by coating the poles with petroleum jelly, so they can’t get a good grip to climb up.
- Toothpaste (not the gel-type) will remove crayon marks from walls. Rub it gently with a soft cloth and then rinse.
Threaded needles can be pulled through a dryer fabric sheet to help keep the thread from raveling.- Sprinkle a little cornstarch into the squeaky cracks in a wood floor to stop the noise.
- Grind rice in a coffee grinder to clean and sharpen the blades.
- W-D40, straight from the garage or workshop, is great for removing stickers or sticky price tags from fabric. I learned this when our son washed some brand new t-shirts with the tags still stuck to them and unknowingly put them through the dryer. What a mess. Nothing seemed to work. Then I sprayed the sticky spots with W-D40 and the paper and glue rubbed right off. I laundered, as usual, and the shirts were new again.
- Crayon marks or wax spills can be removed by heating them with a hair dryer set to “high” and then blotting them up with a clean white cloth. You can also place a layer or two of paper toweling over the spot and iron it with a warm iron. The heat from the iron melts the wax and it is absorbed into the paper towels. I actually had to test this out recently when one of our granddaughters spilled a melted candle onto our carpeting. This trick worked like a dream.
- Old photos stuck to a photo album page can be worked loose by heating the back side of the page with a warm blow dryer as you gently work the photo loose on the other side.
- Rub cornstarch into tight knots in shoelaces, jewelry or other tied items to loosen the knots and be able to get them untangled.
- A small amount of hand lotion, first rubbed into your hands and then smoothed over nylons or clothing can remove static cling. Fabric softener sheets are good for the same thing. Just rub them over nylons or static-plagued clothing, even frizzy hair.
- You can create a makeshift sifter by poking small holes in the bottom of a paper or plastic cup and using it to sprinkle powdered sugar on desserts.
- Wrap colored candles in waxed paper and twist the ends shut before packing them away for next season. It will prevent chips and scuffs. This is such an ingenious and simple idea! I love it!
Loosen dirt and clean the gears of your handheld can opener by running waxed paper through the gears. The wax will help it operate more smoothly, too.- Kill grass and weeds without toxins, by putting vinegar in a spray bottle and spraying the weeds popping up in between bricks, stonework or cracks in concrete.
- A little petroleum jelly rubbed on the threads of outdoor light bulbs will help them to be easily loosened when it’s time to change them. If you have ever experienced a light bulb stuck from dirt, dust and debris “welding” them into the socket over time, you’ll love this simple trick.
- Scratches on wood furniture can be masked by rubbing them with walnuts, removed from their shell. The natural oils in the walnut meat soaks into the wood and helps to camouflage the scratch. Just rub a piece of walnut on the scratch. Leave it to soak in for about 30 minutes and then polish the area with a soft, dry cloth.
- Use chalk to heavily mark dark rings on shirt collars, before laundering. Wash as usual. The chalk helps to absorb all the oils and make getting the collar clean an easier task.
- Snip the corner from any size ziptop bag and create a temporary funnel for neater pouring.
- You can use coffee filters, which are lint-free, to clean mirrors and windows with no streaking.
- A sponge dipped in salt water and then washed across the inside of windows will keep frost from building up on the windows.
Place fabric softener sheets between towels, sheets and pillowcases in the linen closet or between your sheets and mattress to keep linens smelling freshly laundered. The Lavender and Linen Essentials dryer sheets I have been using would be perfect for this! Since lavender is a scent associated with relaxation and being soothing, maybe that’s exactly what I need to help me fall asleep more easily. 
I’m off to remake the bed!
All these tips, and so many more, can be found online and will save you time and money, using what you already have on hand instead of wasting time and money running to the store for specialty products and cleaners.
And here’s a chance to put a little more S-T-R-E-T-C-H in your budget! Arm and Hammer is generously sponsoring another $25 VISA Gift Card giveaway!!!
Giveaway Rules:
You must be 18 or over and a US resident to enter. Winner will be selected in a random drawing using random.org. Deadline to enter is midnight (CST), Sunday, October 9, 2011.
Mandatory Entry:
Please share your favorite DIY or household tip. Leave a comment below, with your answer.
Optional Additional Entries:
- Like Arm and Hammer on Facebook and leave a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Like Busy-at-Home on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Google Friends Connect by clicking the Join Button in the right-hand side bar. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Subscribe to the Busy-at-Home Newsletter with this link or in the right-hand sidebar. You will receive an email confirmation with a link that must be clicked to confirm your subscription. Once you click the email link to confirm your subscription, leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- Tweet this giveaway (maximum of 1x per day, please). Win a $25 VISA Gift Card and and get tips for saving money on laundry from ARM & HAMMER @busyathome @bhg http://busy-at-home.com/blog/i-found-40-in-my-dryer-money-saving-laundry-tips-and-a-25-giveaway-bhg-switchandsavechallenge/ Leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.
- Post this giveaway on your Facebook page. Win a $25 VISA Gift Card and get tips for saving money on laundry from ARM & HAMMER and Busy-at-Home http://busy-at-home.com/blog/i-found-40-in-my-dryer-money-saving-laundry-tips-and-a-25-giveaway-bhg-switchandsavechallenge/ Leave a comment below with a link to your post.
This is a sponsored post for Church & Dwight Co., Inc, the maker of ARM & HAMMER branded products, who is paying me to try different products. Save $1.00 on any 2 ARM & HAMMER Essentials Fabric Softener Sheets. And then head over to The Switch & Save Challenge to keep up with all of the bloggers and enter to win $25,000.
My husband is in bread heaven! He has been asking for a while, now, if I would try to make some rye bread. The problem was that I knew full well he was not talking about the dark pumpernickel loaves of traditional rye. What he likes would definitely be classified as light rye. He is [...]
My husband is in bread heaven! He has been asking for a while, now, if I would try to make some rye bread. The problem was that I knew full well he was not talking about the dark pumpernickel loaves of traditional rye. What he likes would definitely be classified as light rye. He is also not a fan of artisan shaped loaves. He wants a traditional-shaped, light rye bread that is soft and makes wonderful sandwiches. If you have ever tried rye bread baking, you understand that it isn’t necessarily a simple task to produce such a recipe. And then, a week ago Friday, I received an email from King Arthur Flour with the subject line, “This is the best sandwich rye bread ever!!!” Of course, I didn’t have any rye flour on hand, but I fired off an order to King Arthur for their medium rye flour and made plans to try this new recipe when it arrived. I received it early in the week and couldn’t wait to surprise David with the bread.
The best rye bread I ever baked!
King Arthur offers several varieties of rye flour:
- Rye Flour Blend – This blend takes a lot of the guesswork out of making rye bread, especially if you aren’t an experienced bread baker. It is a blend of medium rye, white rye, pumpernickel and unbleached bread flour.
- Medium Rye Flour – This flour is milled from rye berries, is darker in color than white rye and has had the germ and some of the bran removed. By itself, it will make a dense tasty rye bread, but mixed with all purpose flour will create the delicious sandwich loaves most of us associate with “light” rye bread from bakeries and markets.
- White Rye Flour – This is rye flour milled from the heart of the rye berry with both the germ and bran removed.
- Organic Pumpernickel (Rye) Flour - This is 100% rye flour with all the germ and bran, which means it is loaded with the fiber and nutrition of whole grain, as well as strong rye flavor. It will produce a much darker loaf.
I ordered the Medium Rye Flour and put it to good use as soon as it arrived. We will be making this (slightly adapted, as usual) rye bread recipe, over and over again! It was soft and intensely flavorful. I didn’t have potato flakes or flour on hand and so left it out. I added wheat gluten and lecithin to accomplish some of the same moisture, lift and tenderness that the potato would have added. Absolutely delicious! The other perk is that this recipe costs 1/2 or less of what I would have had to spend on rye bread at the store. Oh and one more perk? It’s nutritious. I control all the ingredients. Perfection!
Store-bought rye bread will never quite measure up after making this recipe. Delish! (When you print this recipe, the bold-face captions from under the pictures will show up. If you want to use the full picture-tutorial, be sure to visit the website at http://busy-at-home.com/blog/?p=9927.)
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon instant yeast
- 2/3 cup lukewarm water
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup dill pickle juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 Tablespoon caraway seeds
- 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard seed
- 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
- 1 1/2 cups medium rye flour
- 2 T. wheat gluten
- 2 T. granular lecithin
Instructions
- Mix the yeast, a pinch of sugar and 2 or 3 Tablespoons of water. Set aside and allow it to proof for about 5 minutes. (Be sure you mix this in a dish that allows room for the mixture to bubble and expand.) I used instant yeast, which you really don't need to proof, but I think it deepens the flavor in my bread, so I almost always do.
- Mix the yeast and all other ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer and use the dough hook.
- Mix until all ingredients are incorporated and hold together as a dough. (See how the dough has cleaned the sides of my bowl?) The dough may be somewhat dry at this point. Leave it in your mixer and let it stand for 20 minutes, so the flours have time to absorb all the moisture.
- After 20 minutes, set your stand mixer on 2 (medium power) and allow the dough to knead for 7 minutes.
- The results of the kneading will be a soft, smooth dough. Place it in a greased bowl to rise. I sprayed some plastic wrap with non-stick spray and covered the bowl to help with the rising time.
- Let the dough rise 1 to 2 hours, until it is nice and puffy.
- After rising, deflate the dough and shape into a loaf.
- Place the loaf in a greased loaf pan (Mine is slightly over-sized [10"x5"]).
- Let the dough rise to 1 or 1 1/2 inches above the top of your bread pan.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Tent foil over loaf and bake for additional 20 minutes. Tenting the foil will keep the crust from over-browning.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, remove from pan and finish cooling on wire rack.
- Once cooled, slice the bread. I love this slicer. I use my electric knife.
This is how the yeast mixture looks after being stirred together.
This is the yeast mixture after the yeast has had five minutes to lunch on sugar water and grow.
These ingredients will make the most delicious rye sandwich bread you will ever eat! Dill pickle juice is the surprise ingredient. King Arthur Medium Rye Flour and Bread Flour are the products that will help achieve consistency in this recipe, each time you make it. Yes, there really is a difference in flour brands. I am 100% convinced of it and I'll be teaching you why, in an upcoming post.
Here's everything in the mixer, ready to be combined.
Here is the dough, mixed, but slightly dry, prior to the 20 minute wait.
This is the dough, right after kneading.
I actually set my kitchen timer for 1.5 hours and let this dough rise. This is the result.
I'm not a precision loaf-shaper. lol Once in the pan, I pressed the dough down and even then, didn't quite get the corners filled. No worries. It turned out perfect!
Risen bread dough, ready for the oven.
I put the loaf in the slicer, cut off the end, slice the loaf and then switch the small end I cut off into the slicer and finish those slices, too.
See how soft and flexible these slices are? They will fold easily without cracking or tearing and my handy-dandy slicer keeps them all a uniform thickness.
Yum!
We served this with chicken breasts, wrapped in cured dried beef and baked in a cream sauce, plus a fantastic pasta salad recipe, I'll share later.
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http://busy-at-home.com/blog/best-sandwich-rye-bread-recipe-kingarthurflour/This is not your grandma’s Scrabble. It’s fast-paced fun and an excellent tool for helping kids to understand phonics and spelling. Whether we are using it as a board game, just for fun, or as a tool during a homeschool Language Arts lesson, this excellent game from Hasbro is a Top Ten pick for this [...]
This is not your grandma’s Scrabble. It’s fast-paced fun and an excellent tool for helping kids to understand phonics and spelling. Whether we are using it as a board game, just for fun, or as a tool during a homeschool Language Arts lesson, this excellent game from Hasbro is a Top Ten pick for this mama! I love, love, love everything about it. How do I love it? Let me count the ways :
Scrabble Turbo Slam from Hasbro.
- It is compact and self-contained. This little powerhouse of learning fun is only 7 ½” x 3 ¼” and it’s less than 2″ high. It will fit in the glove compartment, your purse, the drawer of your side table or any other small out of the way space you can imagine. It has a built-in drawer that holds everything you need to play the game — the cards. No big, awkward cardboard boxes to fall apart–no ten thousand tiny pieces to keep track of and suck up in the vacuum after the box has fallen apart. Scrabble Turbo Slam has a durable, hard plastic case that IS the game and CONTAINS the game. Perfection!
The handy pull out drawer latches tight enough to not just fall open as the game is being carried, but is still easy to open and remove the cards. A game that has built-in storage is top-notch in my book.
- The game is simple to play and involves just enough “technology” and action to keep students interested. Plus, games don’t last longer than the attention-span of the players. You can start and finish a game in one sitting and do it comfortably.
- I can use it as a teaching tool in our school lessons, following the game rules, or just using the cards to reinforce reading, phonics and spelling concepts.
- The game is inexpensive. It comes in at only $14.95 on Amazon and my guess is you will see great bargains on it, as the holidays approach.
- Visit the Family Game Night page to print coupons worth $80 off various Hasbro games. You can save $5 off Scrabble Turbo Slam. That’s a fabulous, frugal deal for hours of family fun and learning!
- Family members of all ages can play together.
- It is totally portable. This will be a great way to pass the time and keep up on a little schoolwork as we make a long roadtrip in October.
To play the game, four cards are laid on the table, spelling out any random word desired. The rest of the cards are dealt out evenly amongst the players. Press the button on the game console and raucous game play begins! Playing only one card at a time, each player changes a letter to make a new word, calling out the word as they do. There is no waiting for turns. Players play their cards as quickly as possible, making new words and emptying their hands. The player to use all their cards, first, is the winner.
The electronic console allows for a few game twists along the way. A loud signal buzzes at random intervals and the first player to hit the Turbo Slam button, draws an action card that can have them getting rid of cards or gaining cards. There is background music available, as well, which can be completely shut off. Players can challenge a word, just like in regular Scrabble and even consult a dictionary if they aren’t sure.
With or without the console, these double-sided playing cards (They have a different letter on each side.) are a phenomenal tool for teaching! They can be used to teach phonics blends and short words to beginning readers, even in short three-letter words.
Practice rhyming words, phonics blends and three-letter words for reading and spelling with beginning readers.
Four-letter words are recommended for game play with the electronic console.
We easily use the game cards for spelling and vocabulary practice with five or more cards. Watch how easily changing one letter makes a new word. Suddenly, spelling doesn’t seem as complicated and new vocabulary will be more readily recognized in reading, when students have spelled it out and manipulated it in this game. They see the cards (visual learning), they hear the word spoken (auditory learning), they change the cards (kinesthetic learning). Each of these actions helps to “cement” what is being learned into memory. Perfect!
Start with any word or even a specific word from your spelling list.
Scare becomes SHARE, which is easily changed to...
SHIRE, which becomes...
SHIRT. Now change one letter and you've gone from SCARE to...
SHORT in just five individual letter changes.
One of you awesome readers is going to win a Scrabble Turbo Slam for your own family. Just enter the giveaway, below, for your chance to win.
Giveaway Rules:
You must be 18 or older and a resident of the U.S. to enter. Mandatory Entry must be completed before any optional entries will count. Winner will be selected in a random drawing using random.org. Deadline to enter is midnight, (CST), Sunday, October 9, 2011.
Mandatory Entry:
In a comment below, tell me your very favorite Hasbro Game. (You can use the link to get a list to choose from.)
Optional Additional Entries:
- Like Hasbro Games (Family Game Night) on Facebook. Leave a comment below with your Facebook name to let me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Hasbro Games (Family Game Night) on Twitter. Leave a comment below with your Twitter handle to let me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Like Busy-at-Home on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Google Friends Connect. (click the JOIN button in the right-hand sidebar.) Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Subscribe to the Busy-at-Home Newsletter with this link or in the right-hand sidebar. You will receive an email confirmation with a link that must be clicked to confirm your subscription. Once you click the email link to confirm your subscription, leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- Tweet this giveaway (maximum of 1x per day, please). Win Scrabble Turbo Slam! Technology meets board game = family fun & education with a twist! @busyathome @familygamenight http://ow.ly/6z6fL Leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.
- Post this giveaway on your Facebook page. Win Scrabble Turbo Slam! Technology meets board game = family fun & education with a twist! @busyathome @familygamenight http://ow.ly/6z6fL Leave a comment below with a link to your post.
I received Scrabble Turbo Slam, in order to test it and complete this review. No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required. As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.
As a history buff and homeschool mom, this challenge was definitely perfect for me! I got to review two different U.S. History resources, compare and contrast them and decide which one I liked best. Interestingly enough, I had never used either the Dummies Guides or the Complete Idiot’s Guides for any topic, prior to this [...]
As a history buff and homeschool mom, this challenge was definitely perfect for me! I got to review two different U.S. History resources, compare and contrast them and decide which one I liked best. Interestingly enough, I had never used either the Dummies Guides or the Complete Idiot’s Guides for any topic, prior to this comparison, so it truly was a “blind” test.
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I have taught my kids to be “aware” when they read or research any subject, but especially history, of the author’s worldview and the source documents from which they obtained the information they are writing about. The further an author gets from the original source documents, the greater the chance for error; and even if the author has all the correct information, their personal worldview can have an impact on the way they interpret it. It will come as no surprise, then, that the first thing I looked for in each book was a bibliography. I was curious to know from where each of the authors had sourced their information. I was more than just a little surprised that neither book contained one and so my expectation was that sources would be footnoted throughout the texts. Again, I was disappointed by both books. Further investigation provided “disclaimers”, at the front of both titles, declaring that the books were the opinions and ideas of the author and that no liability could be assumed for the accuracy or use of the information they contained. To say that understanding this disturbing information, set the tone for my review, would be a wholly accurate statement.
Since I was no longer evaluating the books from the perspective of documented, verifiable faithfulness to historical accuracy, I compared them on these basic criteria:
- Commonly accepted historical fact
- Organizational style/ layout of text
- Ease of finding desired information
- Quantity of details and information included
U.S. History for Dummies is written chronologically and divided into time period sections, as you would expect. However, the writing style and details draw the reader in, much like a novel. It lays out many more descriptive details and, in modern parlance, engages the reader in a “story”. This text also includes many vignettes, in gray boxes scattered across pages, introducing characters, quotes and little known facts or events that are often overlooked in other studies of history. With the understanding mentioned previously about lack of documentation, U.S. History for Dummies, trends along the commonly accepted views on American history. It has both a detailed Table of Contents and Index, making it easy to quickly find specific topics of interest, and though it has done a good job of weaving events into a readable “story”, each independent section easily stands on its own when you want to focus on an individual subject. An average middle-school student should have no difficulty with the reading level.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to American History is more reminiscent of a History textbook in it’s layout, and again, I found that the reading level should pose no problems for the average middle school student. Like U.S. History for Dummies, the author is descriptive in his details, hinting at his own personal opinions and worldview in the light in which he presents the facts. Given the disclaimers at the beginning of each book, this came as no surprise. The content is comparable to the Dummie’s Guide, highlighting commonly accepted historical data in chronological fashion. The Complete Idiots’s Guide to American History also contains boxed vignettes, sprinkled throughout the text, highlighting lesser known figures and events and lending interest to the story. There were two features distinctive only to the Idiot’s Guide, however, that I liked.
- Vocabulary – Throughout the book, small boxes titled, “What’s the Word”, pop up with definitions and explanations of terms that are used in the text and may otherwise be unfamiliar to younger readers.
- Each chapter concludes with a section called, “The Least You Should Know”, highlighting the main points, events, people and dates from that chapter. This brief summary is a good refresher for what came before and solidifies the highlights in a reader’s mind.
Given that the two books were, for the most part, equal in content and easy to navigate, those two extra points would probably cause me to select The Complete Idiot’s Guide to American History, were I to make a purchase.
I really enjoyed the opportunity to compare these two books and the best part is I get to pass along some savings if you would like to do the same. You will be able to save 50% off one order of regularly priced books by using Coupon Code CIGBlog11, at Idiot’s Guides.com. The discount code is good through October 31, so pull out that Christmas list and order all the titles you will need at one time, to maximize your savings. They have a selection that covers a myriad of different interests and learning needs. That’s a fantastic savings and perfect timing if there are titles that would fit someone on your Christmas list. Enjoy!
I received copies of both books, named above, in order to compare them and write this review. No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required. As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.
I’ve been using Arm and Hammer’s Essentials Lavender and Linen Dryer Sheets in my laundry this week. To be honest, they had me at lavender. It’s definitely one of my favorite fragrances and since I’m one of those people who are dramatically affected, for good or evil, by scent, having one of my less than [...]
I’ve been using Arm and Hammer’s Essentials Lavender and Linen Dryer Sheets in my laundry this week. To be honest, they had me at lavender. It’s definitely one of my favorite fragrances and since I’m one of those people who are dramatically affected, for good or evil, by scent, having one of my less than favorite chores permeated with such a glorious fragrance, makes the job much more pleasant. The addition of the linen scent maximizes that pleasant experience, because for me it evokes memories of laundry dried outside on the line, in a fresh autumn breeze. There’s a crisp freshness to linen that when combined with the floral tones of lavender is perfect for laundry. Opening the box of fabric sheets, I was enveloped in these pleasant scents.
Arm and Hammer Essentials Lavender and Linen Dryer sheets have done a great job in softening the fabrics going through my dryer and preventing that annoying static electricity that wreaks havoc on an otherwise perfect outfit. The softening agents used are biodegradable and naturally derived from nature.
Lavender essential oil is commonly used as a mood lifter, to soothe tension and depression and to aid in the relief of headaches and muscle aches associated with stress. It is added to many baby soaps and lotions as a soother and relaxer. I can only imagine how beneficial it will be to have our bed linens infused with that wonderful fragrance. Essentials Lavender and Linen Dryer sheets will make that an easy task. I’m definitely enjoying having these dryer sheets in my laundry cleaning arsenal and I hope you’ll use the link below to print out a $1 coupon and try them for yourself.
This is a sponsored post for Church & Dwight Co., Inc, the maker of ARM & HAMMER branded products, who is paying me to try different products. Save $1.00 on any 2 ARM & HAMMER Essentials Fabric Softener Sheets. And then head over to The Switch & Save Challenge to keep up with all of the bloggers and enter to win $25,000.
Gold Medal has a brand new WHITE whole wheat flour. If you’ve been reading my blog for long, you already know that white is the only whole wheat flour I can get my husband to eat and my first choice when I bake bread. White whole wheat flour is NOT bleached. It’s whole grain flour [...]
Gold Medal has a brand new WHITE whole wheat flour. If you’ve been reading my blog for long, you already know that white is the only whole wheat flour I can get my husband to eat and my first choice when I bake bread. White whole wheat flour is NOT bleached. It’s whole grain flour milled from a lighter colored variety of wheat, white spring wheat, as opposed to winter red wheat. Products made with it bake up lighter in color, and also in texture, than ones baked with traditional whole wheat flours. I had a great time testing this new product in my own kitchen and while I typically have not used whole wheat flour in any baking other than bread, after my experience with this recipe, I will be mixing it into many more of my family’s favorites.
If you’re looking for a dessert recipe that epitomizes the flavors of fall, Pumpkin Spice Bars is it. For these delicious bars, I used the recipe from Gold Medal, pretty much, as is. I did add a teaspoon of vanilla to the cake batter and I always buy 8 oz blocks of cream cheese, so I just cut one in half, rather than measuring out exactly 3 oz for the frosting. It worked perfectly.
Gold Medal's new White Whole Wheat Flour, cookie jar and recipe cards that will be included in the giveaway prize. Well actually, they won't ship a 5 lb bag of flour. They'll send a coupon for a FREE 5 lb bag of flour! Fantastic!
This makes a HUGE pan of these deliciously moist and flavorful bars. They are absolutely delicious and with help from company, we actually ate the entire pan in only 24 hours. Don't say it! They're really that good! The secret is to keep them in the fridge. The coolness enhances the spicy flavor and keeps them moist.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup canola oil
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1 (3 oz) pkg. cream cheese (or 1/2 an 8 oz block)
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar
For the Cake
For the Frosting
Instructions
- Beat eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin with electric mixer, until smooth.
- Mix in dry ingredients.
- Spread batter in greased 15x10 pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool bars completely before icing.
- To make frosting, beat cream cheese, butter vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.
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If you win Gold Medal’s very generous giveaway, your prize will be the cookie jar pictured, above, a coupon for a FREE 5 pound bag of Gold medal’s new white whole wheat flour and a set of recipe cards that includes even more delicious recipes like the Pumpkin Spice Bars.
Giveaway Rules:
You must be 18 or older and a resident of the U.S. to enter. Mandatory Entry must be completed before any optional entries will count. Winner will be selected in a random drawing using random.org. Deadline to enter is midnight, (CST), Sunday, October 9, 2011.
Mandatory Entry:
In a comment below, tell me your very favorite dessert to bake for fall.
Optional Additional Entries:
- Like Betty Crocker on Facebook. Leave a comment below with your Facebook Name to let me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Betty Crocker on Twitter. Leave a comment below with your Twitter handle to let me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Like Busy-at-Home on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Google Friends Connect. (click the JOIN button in the right-hand sidebar.) Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Subscribe to the Busy-at-Home Newsletter with this link or in the right-hand sidebar. You will receive an email confirmation with a link that must be clicked to confirm your subscription. Once you click the email link to confirm your subscription, leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- Tweet this giveaway (maximum of 1x per day, please). Win a cookie jar, recipe cards and FREE flour! Recipe for yummy Pumpkin Spice Bars @BettyCrocker @busyathome #myblogspark http://ow.ly/6yUzO Leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.
- Post this giveaway on your Facebook page. Win a cookie jar, recipe cards and FREE flour! Recipe for yummy Pumpkin Spice Bars @BettyCrocker @busyathome #myblogspark http://ow.ly/6yUzO Leave a comment below with a link to your post.
I received the products listed above, through My Blog Spark, in order to test them in my kitchen and complete this review. No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required. As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own.
Secret Recipe Club
…September’s Secret Recipe Club challenge sent me to scour the delicious blog pages and photos belonging to Tina, at Mom’s Crazy Cooking. Not only is she a fabulous cook, she’s one of the fearless leaders that help to keep all the plates spinning at Secret Recipe Club. I had so much fun searching her recipe [...]
...September’s Secret Recipe Club challenge sent me to scour the delicious blog pages and photos belonging to Tina, at Mom’s Crazy Cooking. Not only is she a fabulous cook, she’s one of the fearless leaders that help to keep all the plates spinning at Secret Recipe Club. I had so much fun searching her recipe archives and bookmarked many, many along the way. I was specifically looking for a recipe that would utilize ingredients already in my pantry, since we are attempting to trim the grocery budget, in September. When I ran across Crockpot Barbecue Chicken, I knew my search was over. It made a tasty, easy supper served with seasoned brown rice and fresh cucumbers and tomatoes from the garden.
This yummy barbecue chicken was delicious with steamed brown rice and garden veggies!
I cook for a large crew and we shared this meal with my daughter, son-in-law and grandkids. So, while I didn’t really change up the recipe too much, I multiplied it — meaning my ingredient proportions were significantly different, because I still only used one bottle of bbq sauce and by removing the lid from the crockpot in the last hour of cooking, I really didn’t need the broiler step from the original recipe.
Ingredients
- 6 lbs frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 bottle of your family's favorite barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Pour 1/2 of the barbecue sauce into the bottom of your crockpot.
- Place the chicken on top of the sauce.
- Pour remaining sauce over the chicken. Put a small amount of water in the bottle and shake vigorously to remove every drop of sauce from the bottle and not waste anything.
- Set crockpot on high and cook 4-6 hours. Using frozen chicken means you will probably need more time to cook the meat through. If your meat is thawed when you start, 4 hours will likely be sufficient.
- For the last hour of cooking, I removed the lid from the crockpot and allowed the sauce and chicken juices to bubble and cook down, getting thicker and making a wonderful coating that adhered well to the chicken pieces.
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