Holiday Gift Guide- Gourmet Gift Basket

I really love to give gift baskets for the holidays.   They make wonderful teacher  and business gifts.  I was thrilled when I was offered the opportunity to review one of the beautifully packaged gift baskets from Gourmet Gift Baskets.  

The gift basket I received was the Nutcracker Drum Gift Basket.     It offers a delicious variety of snacks. 

This is a list of what is included:
· Red Nutcracker Cookie by Nikki's Cookies - .75 oz. - An all natural sugar cookie covered in dark chocolate, shaped like a nutcracker.
· Green Nutcracker Cookie by Nikki's Cookies - .75 oz. - Another chocolate nutcracker cookie of Nikki's boasts ingredients like Wisconsin farmer's butter.
· Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Brittle by Holly Baking Co. - 6 oz. - This amazing delicacy has a cookie taste and brittle crunch, covered with chocolate and peppermints.
· Peanut Brittle by Old Dominion Peanut Company - 10 oz. - A staple holiday treat, this Old Dominion Peanut Brittle will leave them wanting more!
· Butter Wafers by Lady Walton - 2 oz. - Light and decadent, these Butter Wafers are melt in your mouth delicious
· White Chocolate Amaretto Filled Wafers by Lady Walton - 2 oz. - White chocolate and amaretto give an indulgent twist on a classic favorite.
· English Toffee Caramels by Marich - 2.1 oz. - Milk chocolate surrounds toffee flavored caramel. · Peanut Roll by Dillon's Gourmet - 3 oz. - Sweetly salty roasted peanuts and rich caramel encompass a nougat center of heaven.
· Praline Pecans by Dillon's Gourmet - 2.5 oz. - This creamy pecan delight is a Southern, old fashioned recipe

My original thought was to save the basket and give it away as a gift.  But, I just could not resist trying at least one item.    Then my husband decided to get into it.   My two favorite items were the Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Brittle and the Praline Pecans.    The chocolate cookie brittle pairs so nicely with a delicious cup of holiday coffee or hot cocoa.    Praline Pecans are just one of my favorite things anyway.  Growing up in the South, they are just hard to resist.

The Nutcracker Drum Gift Basket retails for $49.99.   Gourmet Gift Baskets have a wide selection of basket themes and gifts to fit any budget.   Gourmet Gift Baskets makes every basket they sell.  This provides with you great quality.    Check out their website and see the other beautiful baskets available.

Gourmet Gift Baskets is graciously offering to give one lucky reader a beautiful Nutcracker Drum Gift Basket for the holidays!  

Mandatory Entry:  

Visit Gourmet Gift Baskets and leave a comment telling me another gift basket you would like to give or receive.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry with a valid email address.   This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.  

Additional Entries:  

Become a fan of Gourmet Gift Baskets on Facebook 
Follow Gourmet Gift Baskets on Twitter 
Follow The Squeaky Grocery Cart with GFC
Become a fan of The Squeaky Grocery Cart on Facebook 
Follow The Squeaky Grocery Cart on Twitter.  

The giveaway will end on December 8th, 2010.   The winner will be selected by Random.org.

disclosure:   I was given a sample item for the purpose of this review.   I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

Karo Cookie Exchange App

Who doesn't love cookies?   It is hard not to think about all the delicious cookies and baked goods at the holidays.   

Karo has a new application on their Facebook page.   It gives fans a chance to share their best cookie and cookie bar recipes with their new Cookie Exchange Application on Facebook. The app allows you to submit your own recipe, let your friends know you've entered and vote and comment on your favorites. By participating, you create a "living cookbook" to encourage baking and cookie exchanging all year long. Plus, you could win amazing prizes from Cadco, KitchenAid®, Williams-Sonoma, Vollrath® and CookieCutter.com! 

I am still trying to decide which recipe I would like to post.   Give it a try, and hopefully one of my readers will be a lucky winner!   

"Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win an ACH  prize package in exchange for this post.  No monetary exchange took place."

Make a free personal Santa video for your children

Santa Claus and his amazing PNP console will be online during the entire holiday season. With just a few clicks, this technological marvel will let your loved ones receive a personal message from Santa Claus, sent directly from his village in the North Pole. Rediscover Christmas with this immersive and unique experience that brings the holiday magic back to life.

This was so much fun, my children were really surprised when they got their custom messages.  You fill certain details to make it more personal and within a few minutes, your message is ready. 

Nothing says Thanksgiving like a vat of hot, boiling oil. Fried Turkey!!

Having grown up in the South, where everything is fried, fried turkey is nothing new to me.   But, I have met a lot of people who have never heard of it or tried it.  Of course, usually the first reaction you get is, "OMG, it will be so greasy"  but it is far from greasy.    Justin Wilson, Cajun Chef, said of fried turkey, " Frying whole turkeys is sort of the Southern version of making fondue. You have a lot of your friends over, you poke around in a pot of hot oil with some sticks, and then you pull out your dinner."     That sounds about right to me.   Frying a turkey is a very social activity, people want to gather around, see it,  and smell it being cooked.

When my husband moved from the north, that was one thing that he couldn't wait to try.    So our first Thanksgiving together, he and my dad stood huddled over a hot pot of boiling oil frying turkeys.   That was 6 years ago, ever since then he fries one every year. 

You start out with a thawed turkey, then you inject it with delicious marinades, either store bought or homemade.  Then rub the skin with a combination of cayenne pepper, white pepper, paprika, and other seasonings.   This adds the flavorfulness.    Marinade overnight, or at least 2 hours before frying.  

This year is different foe my husband because, now he finally has his own turkey fryer to play with.  You will want to pre-heat your oil.  The best oil to use for this is peanut oil.   Of course, you do have to take safety precautions because the oil temperature ranges between 325-350 degrees.   

Once your oil has reached the ideal temperature, it is time to drop the bird.   The general rule of thumb for cook time is about 3 minutes per pound.   Let your bird cook.  You will want to have a good thermometer on hand to check the internal temperatures.    The waiting is the hard part!  It smells so good.   

Your finished turkey will be a rich golden brown on the outside, with some of the juiciest and tastiest meat, you have ever eaten.    It is hard to eat roasted turkey after having a fried turkey.   Give it a try, you wont be disappointed.      Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hasbro Action Figure Review

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review two of Hasbro's new action figures.   Having a family of Star Wars fans, I am very familiar with Hasbro's Star Wars Action Figure line.   I was really excited with the opportunity to review one of the newest figures.  

We received one of the new Flame Thrower Clonetrooper.  My son was thrilled, because this was a figure we did not have!   The newest Star Wars action figures come with the Galactic Battle Game.   Each figure is packed with a competitive gaming base, a unique battle attributes card, and a die to play the game.   This allows kids to interact with their Star Wars figures in a new way.   The action figures retail for $6.99 and are available now.   Ages: 4 and up

The second action figure we got to review was one of the new Transformer Power Core Combiners.    The new transformers combine with one another, in dozens of variations to create a wide variety of larger Combiner robots, with each figure serving as various body parts and weapons.   The Power Core Combiners are available in 2 packs and 5 packs.    They retail for $9.99 - $19.99 and are also available now.  Ages 5 and up. 

My son loves the new Transformer figures.   They certainly are not like the ones I grew up with.  In some ways, I think they are harder to transform.  These new Power Core Combiners are really cool and will certainly delight those kids on your shopping list.    Be on the look out for Hasbro's Holiday coupons.     There are some for Transformers. 


disclosure:  I received samples for the purpose of this review.  I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post.  All opinions expressed in this post are my own. 

Carmex Moisture Plus Tint Lip Balm Review and Giveaway!

As a member of the Carmex Blog Squad, I had the opportunity to try out the new Carmex Moisture Plus lip balm.     This is an ultra hydrating lip balm, with two colors available, sheer pink and peach.

 

Carmex Moisture Plus Products:

• Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm
• Vitamin E & Aloe
• SPF 15
• Slanted Tip

I really liked the lip balm.  They provide just a hint of color while hydrating your lips.   I really loved the way the product felt on my lip.  It lasted a surprisingly long time, which is a plus.   These will be a great product for winter.    Overall, I have to say that I have really enjoyed testing out this product.  I would like to see it available in a few more color choices.   The new Carmex Moisture Plus lip balm are only available at Walgreens and Walgreens.com


Carmex is graciously giving away a set of 2 Carmex Moisture Plus Lip Balms to one lucky reader.    This giveaway is open to U.S residents only, 18 years or older.    Please leave a separate comment for each entry with a valid email address.  

Mandatory Entry: 
Tell me why you would like to Try Carmex Moisture Plus Tint Lip Balms

Additional Entries: 
Follow Carmex on Facebook 
Follow Carmex on Twitter
Follow The Squeaky Grocery Cart with GFC
Follow The Squeaky Grocery Cart on Facebook
Follow The Squeaky Grocery Cart on Twitter 
Leave a comment on any non giveaway post.  Please share the link for the post you commented on.  

This contest will end on December 5th, 2010.  The winner will be selected by Random.org.

disclosure:  I received a sample for the purpose of this review.   I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

Terracycle "Make A Difference Mom" Contest

Ziploc® Brand products and TerraCycle® want to celebrate moms around the country who are taking steps to make a difference for the environment and their communities. We’re searching nationwide for that “Make A Difference Mom” who makes a conscious effort to create a positive impact on the environment and community in her daily life. Tell us how the mom you are nominating (maybe it’s you!) recycles, plants trees or engages in other activities designed to help protect the environment. TerraCycle will pick four finalists to highlight on the TerraCycle Facebook page, where you can find a link to vote for the winner.

One grand prize winner will receive the title of “Make a Difference Mom”, a TerraCycle prize pack, a Ziploc prize pack, $1,500 to reward herself or her community and a video camera to document her experience!

More information about how to nominate your mom can be found on TerraCycle's Facebook Fan page under the tab called 'Make a Difference Mom'.  

Contest runs from October 24, 2010 until December 15, 2010.