Sweet Creations Mini Loaf Pan

My mother in law asked me if I'd started my holiday baking yet. Oh, boy. Not really. I'm kind of a procrastinator about such things and can usually be found wrapping things at the very last minute. Every year, I swear I will do more and do it all better but it's always hectic! I guess I must subconsciously really like the stress. 

This year, I received a special care package from Good Cook featuring their Sweet Creations Mini Loaf Pan and holiday snowflake parchment sheets. There are so many cool things you could do with this, I wasn't sure where to start. Bread (duh!), meatloaf, pate, soap… all would be quick and easy to execute with this handy pan, which will give you four dainty 1 lb loaves that you can wrap up in the festive 12" parchment sheets.

Like I mentioned before, I haven't even started thinking about what I'll be baking this holiday, so I decided to go with something easy and on hand in my kitchen. I had some sketchy looking bananas and decided to bake some banana bread, throwing a liberal handful of dark chocolate and cinnamon chips into the batter just before baking.

It was super quick and easy to make and turned out totally adorable. Not to mention delicious! The smaller size makes these loaves an ideal size for teachers gifts. The pan is heavy duty and nonstick and looks brand new even after washing. I am sure I will put it to good use this season!

Get 25% off your purchase of the Good Cook Sweet Creations Mini Loaf pan by using code SWEETLOAF at checkout on goodcook.com. 

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that we received product samples to facilitate this review. No compensation was provided. All opinions are, as usual, entirely my own. 

The Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book (Giveaway)

***WINNER PICKED 12/13 WITH RANDOM.ORG***

***CONGRATULATIONS, SmilingGreenMom!!!***



My kids haven't manifested any allergies yet, thankfully, but Roo has several friends who have significant dietary restrictions. I know it's a constant struggle to find foods that my own kids will eat so I can't really imagine how difficult it would be to cook for kids without nuts, eggs, or dairy. When Kelly Rudnicki's second son was diagnosed with multiple severe food allergies, as well as asthma, she began her quest to learn as much as she could about allergen-free cooking. Her blog, The Food Allergy Mama, features tons of recipes and helpful information for other parents to learn from.

Kelly recently published The Food Allergy Mama’s Baking Book, a compendium of recipes that are completely nut, egg, and dairy-free. These recipes are as tasty as their allergen-laden counterparts but they make it easier for kids with allergies to share in the holiday feasting. There are familiar gifting items like pumpkin bread and gingerbread kid cookies as well as more elegant fare such as a dairy-free cheesecake. (It should be noted that these recipes are not gluten-free.) One thing she stresses is using quality ingredients: "I'm a real stickler about the vanilla I use. There are some ingredients you can't go cheap; this is one of them. Nielsen-Massey's is top of the line. Get the good stuff, and you'll see a real difference in your baking results," Rudnicki said.

Impress your family with these donuts on a chilly morning!

Apple House Cinnamon Doughnuts
Courtesy of The Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book
Yield: 12 doughnuts and 12 holes


Doughnuts
Vegetable oil, for frying
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla extract
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons Fleischman's Unsalted Margarine, melted
4 ½ - 4 ¾ cups Gold Medal Unbleached All-purpose flour
3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup soy or rice milk


Cinnamon sugar, for rolling
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


In a large, heavy pot, heat 2 to 3 inches of vegetable oil until a candy thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375ºF.


Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the applesauce, vanilla, and ¾ cups flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt with a wire whisk. Add the flour mixture and the soy milk alternately to the applesauce - margarine mixture. Add more flour, if needed, to make a smooth and not-too-sticky dough.


Transfer the dough to a lightly floured board. Knead for about 1 minute, and roll out to a ½-inch-thick circle. Dip a doughnut cutter into flour, and cut into the dough. Remove the trimmings and reroll, repeating the process.


Slide a few doughnuts into the hot oil, being careful not to crowd the pot. Fry until the doughnuts rise to the surface, about 2 minutes, and turn over with metal tongs to fry the other side. Doughnuts should be golden brown on both sides. Lift out the doughnuts with metal tongs and drain on paper towels.


Mix together the ½ cup sugar and the 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Place the cinnamon - sugar mixture in a brown paper lunch bag. Place the warm doughnuts, one at a time, in the brown bag, and shake to coat. Shake off excess sugar, and place on a serving platter. Repeat with remaining doughnuts.


Note: If you don't have a doughnut cutter, use a 3-inch biscuit cutter instead. To make the doughnut holes, use an empty, sterilized round medicine bottle without the cap. Poke the hole in the middle of the circle, and down the hole will pop. This is a time-tested trick Rudnicki learned from her mom.

To enter and win a copy of The Food Allergy Mama’s Baking Book and a 2 oz. bottle of Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla, please comment on this post with your favorite holiday baked goods or food allergy story.


Entries will be accepted through December 8th and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US readers are eligible.


For an additional entry, post my button on your blog (see code on sidebar), follow my blog, follow me on Twitter, follow Food Allergy Mama on Twitter, fan me on Facebook, fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader. Leave an extra comment letting me know what you did for each additional entry.


Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win!


***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***




Disclosure: I received a copy of The Food Allergy Mama’s Baking Book and a teeny adorable bottle of Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla to facilitate this review.

Betty Crocker Giveaway

***WINNER PICKED 4/5 WITH RANDOM.ORG***

***CONGRATULATIONS, #11 Margie!!!***

her comment...
Alyssa's wish to go to college...





Betty Crocker has launched a new program, Stirring Up Wishes, to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. You can help to grant wishes by giving in two easy ways:

Support the Make-A-Wish Foundation online while saving on your favorite Betty Crocker products through the Give $5, Get $5 promotion. Just visit StirringUpWishes.com from now through April 15th to donate $5 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help make children's wishes come true and get $5 worth of downloadable Betty Crocker coupons.



Look for specially marked packages of your favorite Betty Crocker products in stores. For each product purchased, Betty Crocker will donate 10¢ to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, with a guaranteed minimum donation of $250,000 and a maximum donation of $500,000. Betty Crocker has made a three-year, $250,000 annual commitment to the Make-A-Wish Foundation which, with your support, could be doubled in 2010 to $500,000!



When I was offered the opportunity to try a couple of Betty Crocker baking mixes, I said yes right away. I'm more of a baker than a cook, and always have been. Much to my chagrin, though, I find that boxed cake mix tends to come out with a better texture than my made-from-scratch cakes, no matter what recipe I use. And brownie mix is a pantry staple in our house! I usually bake cookies from scratch but I was really surprised at how quick and delicious the batch I made from a Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie mix was. Only one bowl and one cookie sheet, no mess!

Disclosure: I received a baking mix set like the one shown above courtesy of MyBlogSpark and Betty Crocker. They will also provide the giveaway package and have donated $25 on my behalf and will donate $25 on the winner's behalf to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.



To enter and win a Betty Crocker Stirring Up Wishes prize pack that includes a package of the Betty Crocker Brownie Mix, a package of the Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie mix, and a Betty Crocker spoon. In addition, we will make a $25 donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation on your behalf, please comment on this post with which wish on the Betty Crocker Stirring Up Wishes website you would most like to grant.


Entries will be accepted through March 31st and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US readers are eligible.


For an additional entry, post my button on your blog (see code on sidebar), follow my blog, follow me on Twitter, fan me on Facebook, fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader. Leave an extra comment letting me know what you did for each additional entry.


Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win!


***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***

Sometimes I Hate Being Honest

Yesterday, I got a huge and unexpected package from Williams-Sonoma. Exciting, right? Even better- it was several pieces of lustworthy Goldtouch heavy-duty nonstick bakeware. Now, who loves me enough to send such quality tools for cooking? When I fished the invoice out to see from whence it came, I realized that it was not for me. "Mazel Tov, Naomi and Adam…" it read. Oh, no. I'd better not let Bob see that! Wait. I don't know anyone named Adam. Hmmph.



Obviously, someone had logged onto the Williams-Sonoma gift registry and just typed Naomi Shapiro, not bothering to check the shipping destination or betrothed. (Yes, I did make a registry for our wedding anniversary last year. It was a feeble attempt to win some of the fancy cooking tchotkes I love. We didn't register when we actually got married, so I figured it couldn't hurt to do it now…in fact, I just updated it so anyone who wants to know what kind of opulent present to buy me has somewhere to start shopping.) I contemplated the ethical dilemma. Should I just keep the super fancy bakeware that I know I would love as my own? Chances are the giver would never even realize the mistake and just assume the mystery Naomi Shapiro was bad at writing thank you cards… but of course that would be wrong. So I called customer service and they said they would order a UPS pickup. Just like that. I was kind of hoping they'd offer me a consolation prize, like maybe the Goldtouch Sandwich Cookie Cake Pans, which are about the cutest thing I've seen in a while:




Disclosure: I received nothing in exchange for this post, aside from the warm fuzzies associated with doing the right thing. Although if Williams-Sonoma wanted to send me stuff, I'd probably love it. Especially if it was actually meant for me.

Cupcakes on the Go

***WINNERS PICKED 3/27 WITH RANDOM.ORG***

***CONGRATULATIONS, C.L. Morin (non-blogger) !!!***
winning comment:
What a cool idea!
I like the pink carrier; my favourite kind of cupcake is plain chocolate... though it doesn't hurt to have chocolate chips inside!

***CONGRATULATIONS, LUCY!!!***
her comment:
My favorite cupcakes are chocolate cream cheese. Yum, yum.
I like the blue best. Thanks.


Anyone who likes to bake knows the difficulty of transporting your finished creations. Once cupcakes are frosted, it's almost impossible to get them from point A to point B without a gooey mess. I bought a special cupcake carrier from a major baking supply brand but was sorely disappointed with it. It's about the size of a sheet pan, so it's unwieldy to carry, the little indentations on the insert don't really prevent cupcakes from sliding around, and the plastic is so brittle that one of the corners actually cracked off the first time I tried to use it. It was almost worse than the traditional cardboard box lined with tinfoil method of schlepping cupcakes around. No thanks!

That's why I was so thrilled to read about The Cupcake Courier over a year ago. It was invented by a mom who'd experienced the same problems I had and then actually did something about it! Her invention is a three-tiered stacking tray system, with a tall domed lid. The thinner, taller profile makes it easier to carry and the inserts ensure that each cupcake is safely nestled in its own spot, twelve to a tray. Plus, The Cupcake Courier comes in attractive colors and, when the inserts are removed, it can hold a cake or even heavier items like a turkey or a ham. Wow.



Unfortunately, every time I logged onto The Cupcake Courier's website, they were all sold out! It also quickly sold out whenever it was featured on HSN and Amazon.com. Not a bad problem for a mompreneur, but I was bummed I couldn't get my hands on one of these things… I was relieved to discover recently that the The Cupcake Courier is finally hitting more retail venues, including my home away from home, Target.And the price has dropped, from a reasonable $32.95 to a veritable steal at $24.99.



The gracious Cupcake Courier team sent me two carriers to try out and they are really lovely. I wish I could say they made my cupcakes look as pretty as the ones in their photos, but they're definitely slumming it in comparison, not in small part because my 4 year old is insane and prefers her cupcakes sans frosting. And because I only made two batches of cupcakes and couldn't fill out The Cupcake Courier's ample 36-cake capacity, because I would eat them all myself. I am including a picture of my sad-looking unfrosted cupcakes nestled in the petal pink model just so you know I actually baked them:



Even if The Cupcake Courier didn't make my treats look Martha-esque, it did make them infinitely tote-able. And one benefit I didn't even consider- the four snap-locks make it airtight, so your cupcakes don't get stale as quickly. The company is working on inserts for sheet cakes/brownies/cookies, pies (to carry four at once!) and mini-cupcakes, too. Awesome. I never thought I would be anxious for a bake sale, but now I am raring to go!

To enter and win The Cupcake Courier in your choice of color, please comment on this post with your favorite cupcake flavor. Let me know which color Cupcake Courier you like best, too!

Entries will be accepted through March 26th and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US/Canada readers are eligible. Only one entry/comment per person, please.

Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win! Or, you may choose to check for your nickname at Prizey.Fetch, a new site that compiles winners in one convenient place:

For a complete list of retailers, be sure to visit The Cupcake Courier online.

***If this post receives more than 100 comments, I will be giving TWO Cupcake Couriers away!***

Tell all your friends and if you like, post my new t. Rex button on your blog with this code:

<a href="http://superdumbsupervillain.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" width="150" src="http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii24/superdumbsupervillain/superdumbbutton.jpg"/> </a>