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Our most important tradition over the holidays

December 7, 2016 by Tiffany King Leave a Comment

There are a lot of holiday traditions that my family observes and I know the same is true for you. But I want to tell you about one that has come to have a lasting impact on our family and our kids.

For the past three years we’ve gathered together to do a little soul searching and goal setting. We choose a day between Christmas and New Year that works for all of us. I make a big pot of soup and we share some special chocolate candy, but the main focus is working through a mini-course called 5 Days to Your Best Year Ever. We crash-course it in just an afternoon, even though it’s designed for five days.

This year marks our fourth time to do the course together and I’m looking forward to it. But it’s not just me looking forward to it, even the older kids have started anticipating this.

That’s my family in that photo. Well, the kids anyway. As you can see, our family has grown up and we’ve got teens and young adults now. Parenting older kids and launching young adults into the world is not for the faint of heart!

And that’s a huge reason why I really love doing 5 Days to Your Best Year Ever with them. It gives us a way to teach them how to think through all the important life decisions that they’re dealing with at this point in their lives. As situations come up throughout the year, we’re able to point them back to what we learned in the course and to the goals they set.

This is not about setting resolutions. It’s about getting clear on where you are, where you want to go and how you’re going to get there. And it’s not just for families. It’s designed more as a solo activity. I bought it the first year thinking I would do it by myself, but I decided to ask Jim and our oldest daughter to join me. She was 21 years old at the time and engaged to be married.

We got so much out of the course, that I bought it the next year and the next. I just hit purchase again for the fourth time.

If you’re looking for 2017 to be your best year ever, if you need a fresh start in life, or if you’re looking for a way to help your teens and young adult kids to also have their best year ever, I highly recommend this course. You will not regret it!

Early bird pricing is going on now through Thursday December 8. The cart closes on December 15.

If you have questions about it, please let me know, but you’ll find fantastic info on this page.

I set several goals for myself last year. One of those was a travel goal. In July, Jim and I cashed in the frequent flyer miles we’d been saving and took off for Paris. I anticipate that this year’s goals will be closer to home, but I treasure the memories we made on that trip.

No matter how you set goals and think through the coming year, I wish you an amazing 2017!

This post contains affiliate links. I only share things I love.

10 Food Related Stocking Stuffers That Anyone Will Love

November 23, 2016 by Tiffany King 5 Comments

I usually save the stocking stuffer shopping till near the end of my Christmas shopping. And since I haven’t even started yet, it may be a while before I get to the stocking stuffers. In case you’re further ahead and more organized than I am, I wanted to get these ideas up sooner. These are things that I’ve either purchased in the past or have on my list for this year. I hope you’ll find some inspiration here for the people on your list.

1. Insulated Travel Mug

Everyone can use a travel mug. Even if you don’t plan to actually travel with it. This one is insulated stainless steel and will keep your drink hot for 5 hours or cold for 10 hours. Perfect if you tend to sip on coffee or tea at your desk all morning or for taxiing kids to and fro.

2. Microwave Popcorn Packets

We don’t keep microwave popcorn on hand, so it’s always a treat when my kids find some in their stockings. This is also great for any college students you have on your list.

3. Popcorn salt/seasonings

Popcorn seasonings are available in grocery stores in several different flavors. A container of White Cheddar or Kettle Corn will work for most people and I’ve seen both of those in stores. But if you have a true popcorn lover, you might consider this 12 pack. There are some flavors in here that I know my husband would love to find in his stocking!

4. Milk Frother

This little milk frother gadget is really fun to use. A quick spin with this makes your hot cocoa creamier and more delicious. You can also use it to froth hot milk or cream for your coffee. It does a great job and even kids can use it. If you have someone on your list who loves hot cocoa or coffee, this will make them very happy! Bonus: it’s not expensive at all.

5. Hot Cocoa or other hot drink packets

I love that I can pick these up at the last minute in the grocery store. Most stores offer specialty packets of cocoa in interesting flavors. You can also buy teas, hot cider mixes, cappuccino and other hot drinks. Inexpensive and always welcome!

6. Orange peelers

Orange peelers go with that classic “orange in the toe of the stocking”. I love that this set comes with several. Split up the set and give to several people. These are really inexpensive, especially if you get four gifts out of them.

7. Stainless Steel Straws

I bought these stainless steel straws last year or the year before. We’ve used them every morning in our green smoothies since then. The kids also use them for juice, chocolate milk, water, the occasional milkshake and more. These are so, so much better than plastic straws. They’re inexpensive and you can split up the pack for multiple stockings.

8. Insulated Water Bottles

Back in March I bought three insulated water bottles. Our water bottle situation had gotten dire and I was tired of bottles that either sweat or didn’t stay cold. These were a great purchase! Someone is always using these. My only regret is that ours are all black. I’m a huge fan of color-coding things in a family. Assign each person their own color and you know who didn’t wash theirs, who left it in the car and which one is yours so you aren’t drinking after someone else. These bottles come in six colors and two sizes.

9. Soda/Pop/Cokes in glass bottles

My kids love a treat of some type of soda in a glass bottle. (We actually call all soda or pop “coke”.) You can find several different varieties in the Mexican food aisle. Jarritos are a big favorite of my kids. This isn’t something we buy often, since we usually drink water with meals, so it feels special as a stocking stuffer.

10. Salad dressing bottle for packed lunches

I admit that this last one won’t be exciting to everyone on your list, but if you have someone who often packs a lunch and likes to take salad or dressing for dipping, they will love this. It’s leak proof, small and perfect for dressings. These come in a two pack, so you can split it up or give both. This might make an original, useful and inexpensive gift for a coworker too.

This post contains affiliate links.

Instant Pot vs. Pressure Cooker

November 1, 2016 by Tiffany King 63 Comments

If you spend any time at all online looking at recipes, I’m sure you’ve seen the buzz about pressure cookers, electric pressure cookers in particular. It took me a little while to jump on the bandwagon, but you could consider me to be fully onboard at this point. Not because everyone else has one, but because they really do help solve some of our common dinner hour dilemmas. The biggest problem is deciding which one to get with so many options on the market. Since I own two of them, I decided it would be helpful to share an honest Instant Pot vs. Pressure Cooker Review for you between some of the most popular models.

And while we’re at it, I’m including a few things to consider in determining if an electric pressure cooker is even a good fit for you and your cooking routines. So grab a sweet tea and join me for a thorough Instant Pot vs. Pressure Cooker review. Yes, I live in Kentucky where all the tea is sweet, and we’re more than slightly proud of that fact.

Before we dive too deeply into the review, let me clarify that when I say pressure cooker, I’m referring to the electric pressure cookers and not the stove-top one that many of our mothers owned. It’s not uncommon during one of my Wednesday morning Facebook Lives for a follower or two to chime in saying that pressure cookers make them nervous. We’ve all heard a horror story or two about stovetop pressure cookers that have left us somewhat leery of the electric pressure cookers as well. I honestly don’t have any experience with the stovetop variety, but I can assure you that the new electric pressure cookers are safe and easy to use.

The Pressure Cookers I own:

Have you ever really tasted canned tomatoes?

January 26, 2016 by Tiffany King 11 Comments

Canned tomatoes are a staple ingredient for me, and for most of you too. I have a whole drawer in my pantry dedicated to various tomato products.

But somehow, I’d never given much thought to the differences in quality of those products. Until now.

Red Gold sent me a product cutting kit to test their whole, peeled tomatoes against Hunt’s brand. I took a bunch of photos so you can see the difference.

The first thing I did was open the Red Gold can. The photo above is exactly as it was when I opened it. Four nice looking, whole tomatoes were near the top. The media (juice) looked red and I noticed a good tomato scent.

I poured the Red Gold tomatoes into the provided pan. All the tomatoes were whole and looked very good. There was one tomato that was much smaller than the others, but overall they were uniform in size.

Next I opened the Hunt’s can. This is exactly what it looked like when I opened it. I couldn’t see any whole tomatoes at the top of the can. The media (juice) looked thick and red though.

I poured the Hunt’s can into the pan. There were a few whole tomatoes, but many were squished.

Above is a side-by-side photo so you can see the differences.

Appearance ratings:

On the Red Gold score sheet, there are five different ratings for appearance. Each is rated on a scale of five, with 1 being poor and 5 being extraordinary.

Red Color of Tomatoes

The brighter the hue of red, the higher the score. I gave both Red Gold and Hunt’s a score of 4 on this.

Uniformity of the Size of Tomatoes

The less variation in size, the higher the score. I gave Red Gold 5 on this. Hunt’s earned 3. It was hard to tell if the Hunt’s tomatoes were uniform in size, because many of them were squished or in pieces.

Tomato Integrity

The more firm the tomatoes look, the higher the score. Red Gold earned 5. Hunt’s earned 2.

Amount of Peel and Seeds Present in Sample

The less peel and seeds, the higher the score. Red Gold earned 5, because I saw no peel or seeds. Hunt’s earned 1. On of the Hunt’s tomatoes still had most of the peel on it. Another had a significant amount of peel. I also saw many seeds in the Hunt’s.

Media

The red and thick juice is the media. The better the color and consistency, the higher the score. This is the only indicator that Hunt’s may have edged out Red Gold. Hunt’s media was very thick and red, almost like tomato sauce. I gave it a rating of 4. Red Gold’s media looked good, but it is a bit thinner and lighter than Hunt’s. I gave it a score of 3.

Flavor ratings:

The final two ratings on the score sheet are for flavor. For this rating, a tomato from each can is cut in half. Notice the appearance, then taste for flavor.

The flavor of Red Gold tomatoes is very good. It’s bright and not far off from a fresh picked tomato.

Hunt’s tomatoes did not taste good. I was pretty surprised by how badly they tasted. There was a distinct metallic taste. They tasted like an old can. Not good.

Intensity of Tomato Flavor

The more tomato flavor, the higher the score. Red Gold earned a score of 5. Hunt’s earned a score of 2.

Attributes

Tomatoes should taste garden fresh without any off notes. Red Gold earned 5 here. I could easily eat a plate of these by themselves. I gave Hunt’s a score of 1. They just really weren’t good.

Score totals:

Red Gold – 32

Hunt’s 17

I was very surprised at the difference between the brands.

Red Gold is Non GMO certified and uses a Non-BPA Liner for their cans. Both of these add to the quality of the tomatoes.

Have you ever tried Red Gold tomatoes? The next time you open a can, take a bite before adding them to your recipe. I’d love to know what you think.

Disclosure: Red Gold sent me the product cutting kit. I have been compensated by Red Gold for this post, however all opinions are my own.

National Soup Month with Bear Creek Dry Soup Mixes (and a giveaway!)

January 20, 2016 by Tiffany King Leave a Comment

The first part of our winter was so warm and nice. We had to turn the heat off in the house on Christmas day so we could enjoy a fire that morning.

Now that we’re well into January, the weather has shifted. It’s 12 degrees outside right now, with snow in the forecast for tomorrow. Brrr! No wonder some smart person set January as National Soup Month.

I love any kind of soup. Paired with a salad or warm bread – or paired with a fire in the fireplace – soup warms both body and soul.

I’ve shared Bear Creek Soup Cups with you before. But I also really like their soup mixes that make a whole pot to share with the family. These are wonderful for stocking the pantry, so you can have soup anytime you need a quick lunch or dinner. My youngest son is home with a bad cold today, so I’ll be making the Chicken Noodle Soup for his lunch.

Bear Creek Soups are so easy to make and they only take minutes.

Last week we had Creamy Chicken Soup by the fire while it snowed outside. The Creamy Chicken Soup has small shell pasta in it, so it’s filling as well as being warm and tasty.

Giveaway on Instagram

Bear Creek Foods has another giveaway for you this month! Submit a photo on Instagram showcasing you all bundled up in your winter gear for the chance at a winter warm-up, a month’s worth of Bear Creek Dry Soup Mixes! Tag Bear Creek (@bearcreekfoods) and use the hashtags #NationalSoupMonth and #WinterWarmUp

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Bear Creek Soups. The opinions and text are all mine.