Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go….

This Thanksgiving we traveled for our yummy holiday dinner in style, well at least my youngest daughter did, with her Cars 2 travel kit.

She had so many fun things to keep her mind on that she never really paid attention to the fact that we were in the car for awhile, never once asking are we there yet?!? She had:

• CARS 2 Super Stationary Set
• CARS 2 Figurines
• CARS 2 Soundtrack
• Activity Sheets
• $25 Gift Card for snacks for the road

Before we even started out she got into her kit and put stickers on her rolling suitcase and her face, which she thought was the funniest thing ever, and even quietly sat and colored a picture before we got her ready to go, which took longer than normal so she was waiting patiently lol.

Once in the car she took to making pictures of things we passed, she made some on the large tablet of paper she got and some small ones too, those are the ones she has hung in her room. Don’t let the closed eyes fool you she is not asleep she just asked me for the umpteenth time if I could ride in back with her and she sighed when I said no lol.

The Stationary Set had enough crayons, markers, stickers and paper in it to last the trip there and back as well as fulfill her when we returned home. We bopped along to the music on the Cars 2 soundtrack while she played with her little car and ate her cheese puffs we stocked up on with the gift card. I should have rethought the cheese puffs as she finger painted with her orange fingers a few times

Our Thanksgiving destination.

Don’t forget that Cars 2 is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. This movie would make the perfect holiday gift or stocking stuffer this holiday season.

Cars 2 kit was given to my daughter for her holiday travels.

Company: Hershey’s
Item Reviewed: None at this time
Item Given Away: 3 Bags of Hershey’s KISSES
Start Date: December 8
End Date: December 15

Now that the holiday season is in full swing, many bakers around the country are preparing for their busiest entertaining time of year. I know for me this is one of my most busiest times and one that I dive into head first and don’t come up for air until after the New Year. But this season, Hershey’s wants to help make sure your holiday treats turn out perfect with the recently launched Hershey’s Cookie Headquarters — the ultimate online resource that allows consumers to ask baking questions to a team of Hershey’s experts! How sweet (so to speak) is that? You can check out the website, www.FavoriteCookies.com, which features great cookie exchange recipes and tips for hosting and entertaining throughout the holiday season. While on the site, visitors can ask Hershey’s experts their baking questions and connect with other holiday bakers to share festive baking tips and recipes. Questions I have are:

1. Why do my cookies always get burnt?
2. Why can’t I make a decent pie crust?
3. Why? Just, Why?

Of course those aren’t questions I would really ask, I keep those to myself when I make errors in my baking. But I will definitely utilize the website and asking the experts lots of questions. What are you waiting for? you know you have a burning cookie…err…question, so head on over today and get some answers!

And now, for a very tasty little giveaway for you, one lucky Dirty t Shirt reader can win 3 bags of Hershey’s KISSES to create your own holiday goodies this season. Please see rules below to enter to win today! This giveaway will last one week so hopefully you can get them to make your right before Christmas cookies

Rules

Company: Hickory Farms
Item Reviewed: Two Signature Gift Boxes

I have said in the past that Hickory Farms has been a big part of my life for a very long time. I would like to tell you all a little more about that. It starts way back, when I was a little girl and my grandparents were having their annual Christmas Eve party. Now, this is the first time that I can remember but I am told they did this every year. I would watch my grandmother put out plates with cheeses and sausages on them, all from Hickory Farms, and I would be hiding under the table and when she left the room I would sneak out and grab a few slices of each and then dive back under the table before she came back.

This would happen every year and every year the goodies would be from Hickory Farms. My parents carried on that tradition after we moved away and now I have taken over and every year I lay out the goodies that I get from Hickory Farms, every Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, and this past Thanksgiving my toddler even “pulled a me” and hid under the table until I left the room and then grabbed a few pieces of sausage and cheese, even though I saw it I let her do it, smiling because she is just like me, something that doesn’t always make me smile

So this holiday season and all the ones that come next, make sure you include all the great foods that Hickory Farms has to offer, Hickory Farms gifts baskets and packages make for great Holiday gifts for everyone on your list!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Hickory Farms and received a two signature gift boxes from Hickory Farms to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Company: The J. M. Smucker Company
Item Reviewed: Crisco Cookie Prize Pack
Item Given Away: Crisco Cookie Prize Pack
Start Date: December 16
End Date: December 30

From gingerbread to oatmeal to sugar cookies with sprinkles, home bakers aren’t holding back on this year’s holiday cookie quota.  According to the Crisco National Cookie Survey**, 71 percent of adults are planning to bake, on average, roughly eight dozen cookies each.

To support this season of bountiful baking, Crisco is launching a new online resource, Cookie Central. All it takes is a few clicks to solve any cookie-related woe.  Features, such as “Cookie of the Day,” can sustain a devoted baker throughout the holiday season and beyond, while novice bakers will quickly feel at ease after watching the site’s instructional videos.  The website also provides a simple homemade cookie recipe mix that can be used for more than a dozen different types of cookies.  Bakers can download recipes and personalized tags and cards to create homemade gifts that will tempt any cookie fanatic.

The survey also shed some light on who in each household is more-likely to take indulge themselves and sneak a cookie.  Half of American adults fessed up to being the first to succumb to their sweet tooth. That is, unless they have children at home, in which case adults are more likely to say their child takes the first bite (40%) rather than themselves (33%) for being the first to reach into the cookie jar.

With the help of Crisco I would like to inspire you to think outside the cookie jar this year, and we’d like to offer a giveaway to equip you with everything needed to wow your guests with sugary treats, including, recipe cards, measuring cups and spoons, baking sheet, cookie dough scoop, silicone cookie spatula, a sample of Crisco Baking Sticks and a jar of cookie cutters. Please see rules below to enter to win today!

**The Crisco National Cookie Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research between October 29th and November 4th, 2010.  One thousand interviews were fielded among nationally representative American adults using an email invitation and an online survey.  Quotas were set to ensure accurate representation of the U.S. population ages 18+.  Survey results have a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

Giveaway

• MAIN RULE – Tell me in comments who is the first in your family to reach into the cookie jar? (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
• 1 Extra Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed or by email (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
• 1 Extra Entry – Follow me on Twitter (button in header) and let me know your Twitter name in a separate comment.
• 1 Extra Entry – Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste – @Jentifa is giving away a Crisco Cookie Prize Pack! Check it out here http://bit.ly/fHRpKd. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.
• 1 Extra Entry – Friend me on Google Friend Connect on sidebar and leave a separate comment that you did.
• 2 Extra Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog.

This giveaway will run through midnight on December 30, with winner being announced the morning of December 31. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

This holiday season there will be no Santa sweeter than the one on display at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel, an Epcot Resort Hotel. A life-size chocolate Santa – complete with armchair, fireplace and Christmas tree – sculpted entirely out of chocolate will be exhibited in the lobby of the Swan throughout December. A total of 1,200 lbs. of chocolate was used for the piece, which is colored to accurately portray Santa’s vibrant red suit, flowing white beard and green Christmas tree!

The sculpture is the work of the hotel’s executive pastry chef and only two-time world champion pastry chef, Laurent Branlard.  Branlard is renowned for intricate chocolate and sugar sculptures and this piece marks one his largest and most difficult ones to date. It included:

• Man Hours: 300 hours
• Dark Chocolate: 880 lbs.
• Milk Chocolate: 132 lbs.
• White Chocolate: 154 lbs.
• Cocoa Butter: 120 lbs.

And just in case any chocolate lovers are thinking of taking on the challenge of consuming this enormous sweet, they should consider that it is 2,956,818 calories! (Please note that the sculpture is not available for tasting.)

What: Life-Size Chocolate Santa Sculpture by world champion pastry chef Laurent Branlard

Where: Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel (Swan wing lobby)
1200 Epcot Resorts Blvd.
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

When: Throughout Dec.

Website: www.santasfavoriteresort.com

For more details about all the holiday excitement at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel or to make room reservations, please visit www.santasfavoriteresort.com or call 1-800-227-1500.

Company: Hickory Farms
Item Reviewed: Hickory Farms Perfect Picnic Basket & Party Planner Gift Box
Item Given Away: Party Planner Gift Box
Start Date: November 30
End Date: December 11

Perfect Picnic Gift Basket – This Perfect Picnic Basket comes with everything. The lucky person who opens it will find it filled with Hickory Farms Summer Sausage, creamy cheeses, crackers and mustards. Our Melt Away Mints and Famously Thin Peanut Brittle promise a sweet ending! Think of all the family picnics that will be all the more special because they open and close with a keepsake Peterboro Basket.

Includes:

• 10 oz. Beef Summer Sausage
• 7 oz. Turkey Summer Sausage
• 7 oz. Beef & Pork Summer Sausage
• 4 oz. Mission Jack Blend
• 4 oz. Creamy Swiss Blend
• 6 oz. Famously Thin Peanut Brittle
• 12 oz. Mini Melt Away Mints
• 5 oz. Flat Bread Crackers
• 2.25 oz. Sweet Hot Mustard
• 2.5 oz. Honey Pineapple Mustard
• Keepsake Peterboro Basket

Party Planner Gift Box – Hickory Farms knows how to create a delicious gift that will bring friends and family closer together, and the Party Planner gets it done. Any holiday celebration will get off on the right foot with this combination of snacks on the holiday table. For each Party Planner Gift Box sold, Hickory Farms will donate $5 to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign, a national nonprofit that is ending childhood hunger in America.

Includes:

• 7 oz. Beef Summer Sausage
• 5 oz. Italian Recipe Beef Summer Sausage
• 5 oz. Turkey Summer Sausage
• 6 oz. Original Cheese Ball
• 4 oz. Smoked Cheddar Blend
• 4 oz. Mission Jack Blend
• 4 oz. Creamy Swiss Blend
• 4 oz. Big Barn Cheddar®
• 2.5 oz. Cranberry Mustard
• 2.25 oz. Sweet Hot Mustard
• 1.5 oz. Sesame, Caraway & Sea Salt Crackers

My Thoughts

The holidays just wouldn’t be the same for me and my family without Hickory Farms and all their delicious sausages and cheeses and spreads! We have it every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas snacks and each year the plates get cleaned off. I personally love their summer sausage and if I didn’t like to share I would eat it all! The food is top notch and these gorgeous gift boxes and baskets make for great holiday gifts, I have had great compliments from family and friends for their gifts because they all love Hickory Farms. And Hickory Farms has even done one better with their eco-conscious packaging.My toddler is asking me to put in my write up that she liked the candies that come in the gift packs too. They bring back memories for me to from when my grandparents brought Hickory Farms to our house when we were young.

I am excited to bring you this giveaway because Hickory Farms has a very special place in my heart and so do my readers. Please see rules below to enter to win a Hickory Farms Party Planner Gift Box, but hurry and enter this giveaway ends soon!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Hickory Farms and received two signature gift boxes from Hickory Farms to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Giveaway

• MAIN RULE – Tell me in comments what your favorite thing about the holidays is. (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
• 1 Extra Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed or by email (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
• 1 Extra Entry – Follow me on Twitter (button in header) and let me know your Twitter name in a separate comment.
• 1 Extra Entry – Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste – @Jentifa is giving away a Hickory Farms Party Planner Gift Box. Check it out here http://bit.ly/gWcbjU. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.
• 1 Extra Entry – Friend me on Google Friend Connect on sidebar and leave a separate comment that you did.
• 2 Extra Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog.

This giveaway will run through midnight on December 11, with winner being announced the morning of December 12. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Nintendo is a very big name in our house and I love anything Nintendo, I recently acted like a kid in a candy store when I got to go to Nintendo World in NYC, so it was only normal for me to be super excited when I opened up a package that I received only to see a Gingerbread house with a whole bunch of Nintendo candy items.

Even though I was excited about it you should have seen the look on my kids faces, even my 17 year old wanted to join in on decorating, so while I was in the kitchen baking and cooking for Thanksgiving I let the kids have a go at the house. They had so much fun, and while the older kids had to stop my toddler from eating all the candy they made a cute little gingerbread house, our Nintendo house!

Thank you Nintendo for the fun little project for my kids, when our guests saw it they laughed and said, “This is so you!”.

Duncan Hines, a leader in baking for over 50 years, makes holiday entertaining easy and enjoyable with decadent recipes that won’t break the bank.  Duncan Hines helps create extraordinary holiday experiences through decadent desserts that will enable you to entertain on a budget this holiday season.

Imagine serving your holiday guests Creamy Red Velvet Cupcakes, Decadent Carrot Cake Cheesecake and delectable Macaroon Brownies. With these recipes you can make all these luscious treats from your own home!

I just had to try out my sons favorite Red Velvet Cupcakes by following the Ducan Hines recipe. They came out amazing!!!

Creamy Red Velvet Cupcakes
Absolutely tantalizing! Cream cheese, chocolate chips and coconut make these cupcakes rich with flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg Duncan Hines® Moist Deluxe® Red Velvet Cake Mix
• 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 1 tub Duncan Hines® Creamy Home-Style Cream Cheese Frosting

Baking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease muffin pans or line with paper baking cups.
2. Prepare batter according to package directions.
3. Spoon batter into lined muffin cups. In small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and egg; mix until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and coconut.
4. Spoon about 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture onto batter of each cupcake.
5. Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes following package directions. Spread cupcakes with frosting.

Makes about 24 cupcakes.

These turned out so yummy that we will be making them, per my sons request, for our Christmas Eve family party.

Duncan Hines has offered me the chance to giveaway a box of Red Velvet Moist Deluxe Cake Mix and Cream Cheese Frosting to one Dirty Shirt reader. Please see rules below to enter today.

Giveaway

• MAIN RULE – Go to Duncan Hines recipe page and find one more you would like to try and come back and tell me what it is in comments. (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
• 1 Extra Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed or by email (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
• 1 Extra Entry – Follow me on Twitter (button in subscribe section on the right sidebar) and let me know your Twitter name in a separate comment.
• 1 Extra Entry – Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste – @Jentifa is giving away Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake & Cream Cheese Frosting! Check it out here http://bit.ly/6lBRjr. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments. Or you can use the new Tweet button below this post in the Share area.
• 2 Extra Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog.

This giveaway will run through midnight on December 22, with winner being announced the morning of December 23. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Président® Cheese, one of the world’s premiere cheesemakers and the #1 brand of Brie in France, is part of Groupe Lactalis. Founded by André Besnier in 1933 in the town of Laval, France, in the Loire Valley, we bring over 75 years of French artisanship and tradition, and the widest range of specialty cheeses, including the largest array of AOC (appellation d’origine contrôlée) cheeses. You can count on Président as your personal cheese coach, guiding you through the extraordinary blend of expertise, flavor, and culture that come together in specialty cheese.

NEW Brie: A Cracker-Ready Shape

Few things are as creamy and delicious — or as sure to impress a crowd — as Brie. Now, the new Président® Brie Log offers a new element of convenience. That’s because the new Brie Log’s unique long shape makes it easy to cut and easy to serve and eat. Slices of the Brie Log fit perfectly on a cracker — and its thin, edible rind only adds to its rich, creamy deliciousness.

So what are you waiting for? Get some crackers, invite some friends, and share the deliciousness. Imagine the possibilities: Brie slice on a cracker with marmalade and nuts, strawberries and mint, or salmon and dill. Or, how about Brie on a cucumber with diced pepper and scallion?

For those that have never tried Brie before, like me, this is a new experience when it comes to cheeses. I liked the soft, creamy texture and the fact that it is easier to just slice the Brie log and place on a cracker. My husband is a Brie fan so he knew of some other foods to have with it but in case you don’t I will share what I found on the President website:

• Brie – Deliciously buttery and creamy inside, with a snow-white edible rind, mild flavor with subtle mushroom notes.
• Wine Pairing suggestions: Champagne, Bordeaux, Sauvigon Blanc, Merlot, Cru Beaujolais, Syrah (Languedoc)
• Food pairing: Perfect for quick entertaining or indulgent recipes like Brie en croute. Pairs with apricots, apples, berries, pears, quince, pine nuts, pistachios and olives. Serve at room temperature or gently baked.

At our last impromptu gathering I made this recipe:

Brie, Cherry Tomatoes, Pepper, and Chives

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. Président Brie log
• Crackers
• Cherry tomatoes, halved
• Red pepper, thinly sliced (calls for yellow pepper)
• Chopped chives

Method – Place one Brie slice per cracker. Top slice with half a tomato and a very thin slice of yellow pepper. Sprinkle with chopped chives.

They were wonderful and we got a lot of compliments on serving great tasting cheese and wonderful champagne. I recommend the Président Brie Logs to everyone, they are very convenient and easy to set out and are simply wonderful tasting. Definitely look for them in your local grocery store.

¡Feliz Navidad! In this holiday movie classic with a Dora twist, Dora must help Swiper discover the true spirit of Christmas.

When Swiper tries to swipe the Christmas Star from Dora’s Nochebuena Party, he lands on Santa’s naughty list. To get back on the nice list, Dora must help Swiper travel to the past, the present, and the future to discover the true spirit of Christmas. Will you help too?

Special Features:

• Jingle Bells Music Video
• We Wish You A Merry Christmas Music Video
• Young People’s Chorus Behind-the-Scenes Featurette

My daughter was front and center for Dora’s Christmas Carol and sat still the whole movie. She loved seeing Santa in the show as this is the first year she really knows and understands that there is something different about this time of year. I can’t wait until she is old enough to understand the meaning of the season, well, I don’t want to hurry time up so I can wait. She loved this Dora movie and has now played it at least 10 times in one week.

I have a great surprise for you all too. I have a special Dora two pack DVD set for Christmas to giveaway to one lucky Dirty Shirt reader. Please see rules below to enter today!

Giveaway

• MAIN RULE – Tell me in comments who you would give this to if you are the winner. (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
• 1 Extra Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed or by email (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
• 1 Extra Entry – Add my Christmas button to your site and let me know you did in a separate comment (code is at the top of blog)
• 1 Extra Entry – Follow me on Twitter (button in subscribe section on the right sidebar) and let me know your Twitter name in a separate comment.
• 1 Extra Entry – Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste – @Jentifa is giving away a Dora The Explorer Christmas 2 DVD set! Check it out here http://bit.ly/5cchqR. Then come back and leave the direct link to your tweet (go to your twitter account, click on the words when your tweet was sent (ie. 5 seconds ago) and copy and paste that link in comments.
• 2 Extra Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog.

This giveaway will run through midnight on December 15, with winner being announced the morning of December 16. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.