Shakin & Bakin Foodie Blog

I'm not a big wild game eater but that's not because I don't like it or have access to it. My brother and brother-in-law are huge wild game hunters and often offer me wild game. In the past, I turned it down more often than not...until now.

You see, the reason I've never really got into consuming wild game was because I didn't know how to prepare it. Thanks to "The Complete Wild Game Cookbook" I've now got 165 different recipes to tantalize our taste buds.

Title: The Complete Wild Game Cookbook
Author: Jean-Paul Grappe
Publisher: Robert Rose
ISBN: 978-0-7788-0516-8

This enticing & informative cookbook explains, from forest to table, how to make the most of wild game. Absorbing & engaging, it's not only full of information about game birds & animals but also introduces you to several wild plants that pair especially well with the suggested dishes, and includes recipes for broths, gravies, marinades and glazes.

In addition to the 165 recipes, it features tips on preparing and cooking game, and the details on the different species available throughout North America. You'll also learn how to use the flesh & giblets of game, as well as wine-pairing suggestions, information on the various cuts of meat & general terms used in butchery.

Here is an example of some of the recipes in the cookbook:

* Braised Duck with Olives
* Roasted Duck Magrets with Grape Foie Gras
* Duck Salmis
* Sauteed Goose Gizzards with Wild Mushrooms
* Slow-Cooked Goose Thighs
* Woodcock and Hare Pie
* Asian-Flavored Guinea Fowl Supremes
* Gray Partridge Braised with Cabbage
* Roasted Quail with Cedar Jelly Sauce
* Lark Pie
* Short Ribs Cooked with Baby Yellow Beets
* Wild Boar Head Cheese
* Bison Roast with Milkweed Sauce
* Beer-Braised Bison Neck
* Bison Stew with Kumquats
* Leg of Bear in Beer
* Roasted Squirrel with Sauce Poivrade
* Plus many more recipes!

This wild game cookbook is absolutely jam-packed with mouth-watering recipes! One of the things that really impresses me is the wide variety of recipes within the book. Just about every wild game animal that is legally hunted in North America is represented in this one cookbook! The foodie photography is beautiful to look at too!

If you got a hunter in your family or just anyone who enjoys preparing and eating wild game...this cookbook would make a great gift (the holidays are coming). You can find this cookbook and many other books by checking out Robert Rose online.

Disclaimer: Shelly H. received a complimentary copy of this book for review. No monetary compensation was received. Shelly's thoughts, words and opinions about this product are 100% her own and your opinions may differ.

I'm very fortunate that I live in south central Pennsylvania. I live in the heart of it all and within 1 hour of downtown Lancaster in Lancaster County. Over the years we've shopped numerous times at the Lancaster Central Market so I was super excited to get a chance to review this cookbook that I am featuring today here on my foodie blog.

Title: Lancaster Central Market Cookbook
Author: Phyllis Good
ISBN: 978-1-68099-066-9
Notes: 25th Anniversary Edition with 288 pages & color photographs throughout.

The Central Market, just off the main square in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is the oldest continually operating farmer's market in the U.S. and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. More recently, National Geographic named the Central Market as a travel favorite and the American Planning Association named it one of America's ten greatest public places. Each week approximately 3,000 people visit the market to shop from local organic farmers, truck-patch gardeners, bakers, butchers, cheese-makers, cooks, etc.

25 years ago, Phyllis Good, a second-generation standholder, began writing down favorite recipes of the food she sold. She urged other standholders to do the same and what they brought together was 300 of their very best dishes. The collection became "The Central Market Cookbook", On September 1st, 2015...the 25th Anniversary Edition was released.

In the new anniversary edition you will find over 350+ recipes. Here is a sampling of some of them:

* Banana Slushy Punch
* Blueberry Oat Muffins
* Creamy Crab Meat Soup
* Sweet Potato & Apple Casserole
* Gnocchi with Roasted Cauliflower
* Frozen Yogurt Pie
* Orange-Glazed Shortcake
* Stuffed Acorn Squash
* Sauerkraut Soup
* Pumpkin Cream Soup
* Lemon Bread
* Savory Sweet Pot Roast
* Grilled Leg of Lamb
* Greatest Apple Pie
* Mable Cake
* Fruit Pizza Crust
* and many more!

At the very beginning of the book is a section that gives you some of the history, changes and current things going on at Lancaster Central Market. If you have never visited and ever get the chance, I highly recommend it! We love visiting several times a year.

All of the recipes in this cookbook are laid out in an easy-to-read format and include an ingredient's list and step-by-step preparation directions. Each recipe lists who the recipe came from and I love that! Just a wide variety of recipes and contributors!

One of the recipes that immediately jumped out at me is the Oreo Cookie Dessert. My little grand daughter loves Oreo cookies so I am definitely going to be making that recipe. Everything is covered in this one cookbook: appetizers, beverages, main dishes, side dishes, snacks, soups, desserts and everything in-between. It's absolutely fantastic!

Baked Squash Recipe - Page 121

Just yesterday I found the Baked Squash Recipe on page 121 in the cookbook and made that. It only requires 7 ingredients and was really easy to prepare. My family loved it!

You can purchase the Lancaster Central Market Cookbook by Phyllis Good on Amazon.com. I highly recommend this cookbook to all of you!

Disclosure: Shelly received a complimentary copy of this cookbook to feature here on her foodie blog. No monetary compensation was received. Regardless, Shelly's thoughts, opinions and words are 100% her own words & unbiased opinion.

Having a set of high quality knives in your home is a MUST-HAVE in my book. While you can get away with not having other kitchen items...a good set of knives are a must! When I shop for knives I want ones that will last me years...not months. I want them to be well-balanced, sharp and easy-to-hold in my hands. Well guess what? I found the perfect paring knife and in my honest opinion, it's the only pairing knife you'll ever need!

Recently Chef Michael Symon (host of ABC’s The Chew, Iron Chef on Food Network’s Iron Chef America) in collaboration with Ergo Chef released a new set of knives. In this collection you'll find his 9" Chef Knife, 7" Vegetable Cleaver, 6" Chef Knife, 6" Serrated Utility Knife, 3.5" Paring Knife and a 4 piece Steak Knife Set. For this review...I received his paring knife.
Symon was searching for an exceptional culinary company to make a line of knives, and after avid testing of their product, found that ErgoChef offered unmatched quality and craftsmanship and precision. Made of the highest caliber steel from Germany and finished with one of the world’s strongest, most durable handle materials G10, Ergo Chef’s Michael Symon knives are designed to fit any hand like a glove. The grip allows for a perfect cut every time with precision-ground, polished blades and an 18-degree razor-sharp edge.

The knives come in a variety of sizes and styles, including a 9” Chef Knife, 6” Chef Knife, 6" Serrated Utility Knife, 7" Vegetable Cleaver, 3.5” paring knife and a four-piece steak knife set, ranging from $43.99 to $144.99.
The 3.5" Paring Knife comes beautifully boxed so if you are ordering one for a gift...it's ready for gift-giving. It's made out of high carbon German stainless steel for durability and one of the world's strongest handle materials G10 fiberglass resin. This is NO flimsy paring knife...nope, not at all. It has a really nice weight to it and is designed perfectly to fit into your hand comfortably.
It's designed to peel and slice your fruits and vegetables with ease. In addition, you can use this fabulous knife to create your garnishes too! The blade is precision tapered with 18 degree sharp edge which makes slicing and peeling super easy to do! I admit, I also use this paring knife when I need to shop up a small amount of veggies for whatever I'm making...it's super sharp and gets the job done quickly.
To really put it through the test I had some overly-ripe nectarines that needed to be peeled. Usually when you try to peel off the skins on overly-ripe fruits it becomes quiet the squishy mesh. Well, not with this knife! My husband used the paring knife to remove the skins from the nectarines and did so with ease! He got those skins off and there was very little flesh attached to the skins.

This paring knife has quickly become our favorite knife in the house! It glides through your fruit and veggies with ease and your hand never gets tired of holding it. Out of all of the paring knives I've owned over the past 30 years...this one is my absolute favorite!

You can learn more about the line of knives by Chef Michael Symon at ErgoChef.com. I highly recommend them to all of you!

Disclaimer: Shelly H. received a complimentary knife to evaluate and review here on the Shakin N Bakin Foodie Blog. No monetary compensation was received. Regardless, her thoughts and opinions on this product are 100% her own.

I've owned the Epson LabelWorks Printer and several different types of the labels and tapes for the past few months and have been using it non-stop ever since! If you are unfamiliar with the product here is some information about it and then I will share how I've been using it lately to label all of my canning jars in my pantry.

The Epson LabelWorks Printer is completely wireless and runs on six AAA batteries. This makes it totally portable so you can use it all over your home, office, the RV, travel trailer, the classroom, craft events, etc. It's small, compact and comes in a plastic storage case to protect it. Along with the printer unit comes an instructional manual that is very easy to understand and gives you step-by-step printing & use instructions. Within 20 minutes of reading the manual...you will be using the printer to create your own projects.
Key Features:

* Choose from 14 font types and 10 font styles
* Built-in memory stores up to 30 label designs
* Prints up to two lines of text
* Accommodates tapes from 6mm to 12mm in size
* Works with iron-on tape, as well as sticky labels & printable ribbons
* Automatically prints with a split back for easy & fast peeling
As I previously stated...I've owned this unit for several months now and I've used it for all kinds of different things. I've made iron-on labels for my grand daughter's gym clothes for school, her soccer uniform, backpack, swim class towels, etc. I've also printed on ribbon and used them in some of my scrapbooking and cardmaking projects. This time around...I've used it to make labels for my canning jars which I am going to tell you about today.
To make the canning jar labels you will need the Epson LabelWorks Printer and a box of the Epson 12mm Metallic Tape. You will want to insert the metallic tape cartridge into your printer and select your font type and style. Since I make big batches when I do home canning...I decided to print out a dozen labels for each food item I was canning: Peaches, Fruit Cocktail, Tomato Sauce and Raspberry Jam...all the items I was making on that particular day.

Within 20 minutes I had all of my labels perfectly printed out. The Epson LabelWorks Printer even cuts your label between each one so you don't even need to do that. Once your labels are done...you simply pull the backing paper off and stick them onto your glass canning jars once your food items have cooled.
I used the silver metallic tape ribbons which is what I received for this review and it worked out perfectly for this project. It's a little hard to see the words on my photographs but trust me...in person those words are clear as day and easy to read. (hard to capture with my digital camera).

I love that I didn't have to go sit in my home office to print them out and was able to easily print out the labels that I needed while sitting at my kitchen table. In addition...the ink is DRY as soon as the label/ribbon comes out of the Epson LabelWorks printer so you are not sitting around for an hour waiting for it to dry. Print, Peel and Stick! Gotta love that!

You can learn more about the Epson LabelWorks Printer and all of the ribbon and tapes that they offer by visiting their web site online.

Disclosure: Shelly received 3 packs of the Epson LabelWorks ribbons and tapes for this review. Shelly already owned the Epson LabelWorks Printer. No monetary compensation was received. Regardless of receiving complimentary products...her thoughts & opinions are 100% unbiased. Your thoughts may differ.

The days of relying on expensive, bottled water for purity and good taste have passed; the ZeroWater Tumbler is the convenient, affordable option ideal for bringing to on business trips, vacations, road trips and more! Just fill it up after security for clean water or in your hotel so you do not have to buy the expensive bottled water!

The ZeroWater Tumbler employs the same patented 5-stage filter technology and revolutionary ion-exchange system that made its pitchers and dispensers a favorite among consumers. The ZeroWater Tumbler is welcome news to health-minded individuals concerned about toxins constantly found in normal tap water.

Features Include:

* BPA-free, leak-resistant bottle provides 000 dissolved solids anywhere potable water is available.
* Ergonomic design that fits easily into most cup holders as well as gym/active/sports bags.
* Next-generation five stage filter with color change indication makes it easy to know when to change the filter.
* Holds up to 26 oz. and available at $14.99

Proven superior quality for optimal healthy living

* In a recent, independent comparative study of water filter systems, Zero Water consistently ranked at the top of each tested category and was the only filter to remove 100% of aluminum.
* Independent research led by Good Housekeeping found that ZeroWater’s filtration removes the highest percentage of the fifteen most common tap water contaminants, earning their products a Good Housekeeping top rating.
* ZeroWater is the only water filtration system to receive NSF endorsement for its reduction capabilities in chromium-6 and lead. The Water Quality Association has recognized ZeroWater for its accomplishments in delivering pure water.
Recently we were sent one of the new ZeroWater Tumblers to review for all of you. We lead an extremely active lifestyle and are always on-the-go. One of the things I really like about this tumbler is it's design. It fits comfortably in your hand and will also fit inside a standard cup holder in your car.

Next, it's very easy to use! Simply unscrew the lid, fill it up with tap water and within 2 minutes or so...you have filtered drinking water ready to go! After filling it with regular household tap water I was amazed at the difference that it made. It tasted like fresh spring water from a bottle but it came from my tap! I never drink my tap water but since receiving this filtered ZeroWater Tumbler, I now do!
We do a lot of traveling (travel bloggers) from the end of March through October and this tumbler is going on the road with me! I am so tired of paying $3.50 for a bottle of water at hotels and this tumbler is going to save me a ton of money! Plus, this is a whole lot better for our environment because you are not tossing away empty water bottles! Yay!

ZeroWater is the only filtered water that meets the Food and Drug Administration’s requirements for Total Dissolved Solids in purified bottled water. ZeroWater is available at select retailers across the US and Canada. For more information, please visit www.zerowater.com.

Disclaimer: Shelly H. has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.

If you love to cook and bake...you also love various kitchen gadgets and tools. With that said, having so many gadgets and tools to store is a royal nightmare. I am always looking for new products that multi-task so I can downsize my collections and regain valuable kitchen space.

Disclosure: Shelly Hill received a complimentary prodcut for her review. No monetary compensation was received. Shelly's thoughts, opinions and ideas are 100% her own words and have not been influenced by the sponsor.

I love to cook but my main passion is baking! Every day you will find me in my kitchen baking up some type of goody for my family to enjoy. I love to bake all kinds of things like puddings, cakes, pies, tortes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, cookies, etc. I'm not a picky girl, I just love to bake!

Like most of you, I've used oven mitts and hot pads to remove my baking sheets from the oven. Over the years, I have burnt myself way too many times to count! Mitts are just way too bulky to use and hot pads are too thin & flimsy. Seriously, there has got to be a better way to remove your hot pans from the oven! Well guess what, there is!
Let me introduce you to The 'Ove' Glove which is a superior heat & flame hand protection glove! It offers heat protection up to 540 degrees F. It's made from the tough heat & flame resistant material used by firefighters and is the only household glove made with Kevlar and Nomax.

This is a knit glove that offers five finger flexibility and the glove has a non-slip silicone grip on the palm side so that nothing will slip out of your hands. The glove will work for left or right handers. You can use it to remove items from a hot oven, microwave or while removing things from a hot barbecue grill.
Note: The product extends the time to handle hot objects. It is NOT a permanent protection against fire or heat. Do not use the glove with steam or while the glove is wet.

Since receiving the 'Ove' Glove for this review I have been using it every day! It gives me enough hand protection to remove my hot baking pans from the oven and gives me enough time to place them on my trivet to cool. I love that they are not thick or bulky and I can totally flex my fingers and make a fist. I can feel everything that I am grabbing for!
You can use these gloves all over your home! My hubby used it to remove a hot cap off the radiator of his truck a few days ago and just yesterday he used it to remove a hot light bulb that had just blown out. In addition, I used them a few days ago when I was using my hot glue gun to make a new door wreath for Valentine's Day. Yes crafters, if you do a lot of hot gluing...you need these gloves!

You can learn more about them and the company that makes them by visiting OveGlove.com. I am giving them 9 stars out of 10 stars on my rating scale. I only deducted one star because I would love to see them made in some fun & funky colors!

Disclosure: Shelly Hill received a complimentary pair of gloves for her review. No monetary compensation was received. Shelly's thoughts, opinions and ideas are 100% her own words and have not been influenced by the sponsor.

How many of you make your own homemade sauces? I know I do! Every year I spend countless days in the kitchen cooking up spaghetti sauce, homemade tomato soup, pizza sauce, etc. and then I can them for use during the winter. If you have ever made your own homemade sauces, you know that it is a time consuming process but it is worth every minute of your time. Homemade is always better than store bought!
The Battery Powered Automatic Ardente Gourmet Stirrer was developed by an Italian boy who wanted to help his mom from burning the spaghetti sauce during huge family gatherings. The battery powered automatic Ardente Gourmet Stirrer uses either a continuous motion or intermittent cycles to stir everything from delicate sauces, soups, stews and even mashed potatoes. It will work with any 9" to 14" two handled pot!

With the Gourmet Stirrer you can be hands-free and won't need to continuously stand over a hot stove for hours on end! It guarantees continuous hands-free stirring that's quick and easy. It comes in white or black, so one will definitely work with the color scheme of your kitchen. It features a stainless steel shaft and 2 non-stick blades (one large and one medium) which are dishwasher-safe making clean-up a snap! Once you are done using it, dis-assemble it and store it flat in a drawer. It doesn't take up much space at all. You will need 4 C cell batteries (not included) and it comes with a 1 year manufacturer's warranty.
We received an Ardente Gourmet Stirrer to review for all of you and let me tell you, now that I own one, I don't know how I ever lived without one! You might be thinking that since it runs on batteries it wouldn't be powerful but that is totally not true. This stirrer is MIGHTY and can handle all kinds of different soups, sauces, mashed potatoes and more!!!

Since receiving it, I have used it to make a batch of homemade spaghetti sauce and it was super nice that I didn't have to stand over my hot stove as it simmered. It did a great job at stirring the sauce and it didn't scorch or burn at all. I've also used it when cooking down some chicken stock to make & can some homemade chicken gravy, it did equally as well! On New Year's Day we used it to stir a large batch of mashed potatoes and they came out lump-free and creamy! Another thing I have been using it for is when I make homemade "cooked-style" puddings. I made two batches of pudding over the holidays and was very pleased with the results!
Once Spring and Summer get here and I start my home canning again I will be using it a whole lot more! I can see me using it to make my jams, jellies, preserves, relishes, sauces and all kinds of other things. If you are a home canner or love to prepare foods from scratch, the Ardente Gourmet Stirrer is a must-have item! We love it!

Giveaway: One lucky winner is going to win an Ardente Gourmet Stirrer! See below on how you can enter! Good Luck! $59.95 Value.

Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the USA ONLY who are age 18 and over. Please read the Terms of Service and Disclaimer Policy before entering. You must be a PUBLIC FOLLOWER of this Blog to have your entries count in my giveaways. (Follow via Google Friend Connect) All non-blog followers will have their entries disqualified after the giveaway closes. This giveaway will close on January 30th, 2015 at midnight EST time.


Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. The Shakin N Bakin Blog is not responsible for delivery/shipping of giveaway items won from this blog nor are we responsible for mis-use or injury caused by items won from this Blog. Content on this blog is copyrighted, all rights reserved. We reserve the right to legally pursue anyone who violates our rights and/or steals our copyrighted material.

I was asked to review The New Low-Carb Diet Cookbook written by Laura Lamont. Laura Lamont is a qualified nutritional therapist. She heads up the diet coaching clinic Glow NutritIon Zero Foods in London, England, where she helps clients acquire healthy eating and weight loss skills. She has written for several lifestyle magazines including Woman, and is a diet specialist for Natural Health magazine.

This is a new take on low-carb diets. Studies have shown that low-carb diets work! The success of the Atkins diet and other low-carb diets such as the Wheat Belly Diet and the Paleo Diet prove this. However, low-carb diets are difficult to stick with for the long haul and are often unhealthy.

Lamont explains how eating a nutritionally sound combination of controlled amounts of complex carbohydrates, protein, and "good" fats (in foods such as avocados, salmon and flaxseed) at the right times of day can bring about healthy and long-lasting weight loss. Now there's no need to deprive yourself of any food group, and you don't have to give up bread!

The first 39 pages of the Cookbook include information on the nutritional science behind the diet, as well as practical charts to help you identify which foods you should be eating and when. After the introduction to the plan and a five-day body preparation plan, it gives you ten Diet Tricks to follow. Meal plans are also included.

Once you have completed your five-day body preparation, you will find more than 75 mouth-watering recipes for breakfasts, lunches, dinners and even desserts in this cookbook! Each recipe comes with a nutritional analysis and most recipes have a photograph of the dish so you can see what it is supposed to look like. I know when I am trying new recipes, I really appreciate having a picture of the end result.

The New Low-Carb Diet has been successfully tried and tested, drawing on the latest scientific research. Having both the diet itself and the recipes together in The New Low-Carbe Diet Cookbook is a great way to begin 2015 on the right foot in a healthy way.

Disclosure: Gail Mahoney personally has reviewed this cookbook. Gail received no monetary compensation for her review. Her opinion and thoughts are 100% her own and are unbiased. Your thoughts & opinions may differ.

I admit, I am a self-professed neat and clean freak. Seriously, I give my kitchen a good overall cleaning every 3 days like clockwork. In between those overall cleanings, I am cleaning up things as they happen. For me, it is extremely important to keep my kitchen and all bathrooms extremely clean.

I think one of the reasons I an fanatic about keeping things clean is my past history as a retired healthcare professional. I know how easily germs can spread! On top of that, I am passionate about cooking and baking and every day I spend hours in my kitchen trying out new recipes and at times, making a royal mess!

The holidays bring all sorts of household “fun” … and by fun, we mean dirty messes from post-holiday party pots and pans, sticky spills on the floor and houseguests leaving dirt and scuff marks EVERYWHERE.

But fear not! Actress, singer, songwriter and founder of The Real Girl’s Kitchen - Haylie Duff - is sharing some of her top holiday tips for cooking, cleaning and entertaining using her favorite cleaning tool - Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Power:

* I love cooking for the holidays with recipes from The Real Girl’s Kitchen! For cleanup, I use my favorite kitchen accessory: the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Power! It makes cleaning cookie sheets, pie pans and a million other tough jobs so much easier!

* For a festive place setting, use Sharpies on glass or ceramic tiles. Wipe away with the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and you can use the tiles over and over again!

* Tackle sticky drink spills on floors and baseboard days after a holiday party with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
I was recently sent a package of the new Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Power that is 50% stronger to last longer than the classic Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. They arrived at just the perfect time because my mother and I had just finished baking 16 dozen holiday cookies, 4 fruit pies, 6 loaves of bread and a few other holiday goodies. To say my kitchen was a mess, would be an understatement.

First up, cleaning up the mess we made inside the microwave oven. You all know...that is a royal pain to clean up! I added some hot water to a glass measuring cup along with 4 drops of lemon essential oil. I then microwaved that cup for one minute so that it created a lot of steam & moisture inside the microwave. I then used my Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Power to wipe out the interior of the microwave. Wow...I had the entire job done in less than 3 minutes! All of the nasty greasy and cooked on mess was gone!
Next...Mom and I used those handy dandy Mr. Clean Magic Erasers to clean up my kitchen counter top and stove top. Just a little bit of lemon water & the magic eraser is all that I used to get the nasty grease, oil, food debris, etc. off of my counters and stove top. It got off everything in rapid fashion with very little scrubbing. Plus, it didn't harm any of my surfaces with scratching, etc. We were able to clean the entire kitchen using ONLY one Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and it held up beautifully!

Since it was still going strong, we rinsed it out and headed into the master bathroom. We have hard water and I wanted to see if it would remove the soap scum that was building up on my ceramic tile and frosted glass shower doors (see top 2 photos in the collage above). I lightly sprayed my lemon water on those areas and got busy with my Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Power. Within a few minutes all of the soap scum was gone! That's right, GONE and I didn't have to use any nasty harsh chemicals to clean it!

You can use the Magic Eraser on all kinds of different surfaces from textured surfaces, to glass, to plastic furniture, tile and so much more!!! They feature a contoured shape for comfort in your hands and have concentrated cleaning power to remove built-up grime. They are 50% stronger to last longer than the original Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

Got any Magic Eraser cleaning tips? Share them with @MrClean on Twitter. You can also share your tips and join Mr. Clean on Facebook. You will want to use hashtag #MrCleanMillion when sharing! Check out the Mr. Clean Clean Book for additional information and cleaning tips.

Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. The Shakin N Bakin Blog is not responsible for delivery/shipping of giveaway items won from this blog nor are we responsible for mis-use or injury caused by items won from this Blog. Content on this blog is copyrighted, all rights reserved. We reserve the right to legally pursue anyone who violates our rights and/or steals our copyrighted material.

It is hard to believe but the holiday baking season is almost here! Every year my mother, my daughter and myself get together for 2-3 days straight and work together to get all of our holiday baking done. We will make & bake dozens of holiday cookies, brownies, homemade breads, cupcakes, cakes and all kinds of other tasty treats!

When it comes to baking the perfect holiday cookies you always need an excellent baking sheet. Right? Right!
Let me introduce you to the Mrs. Fields Cool Bake Baking Sheet from the Love Cooking Company. I have owned tons of different baking sheets and cookie sheets over the years and I have to admit, this one is the best one that I have ever owned!

This baking sheet is heat resistant up to 425 degrees F. It has a fabulous non-stick coating so your cookies will slide off with ease. It is dishwasher safe making clean-up a snap! What makes this baking sheet super cool is that it eliminates the extra step of removing each cookie and placing it on a cooling rack to cool.
It is a 2-part sheet with the cooling sheet placed on top of the traditional baking sheet. The cooling sheet has built-in handles on each side so that you can easily lift it off of the bottom sheet with ease. Having this 2-piece system eliminates the one step but even better is the fact that my cookies seem to bake more evenly and are chewier than ever! I am getting even browning on the bottom too!

I am in-love with this Mrs. Fields Cool Bake Baking Sheet...so much so that I want to purchase a few of them and toss out all of my old cookie sheets! Plus, it is versatile and you can use it as a crispier sheet in the oven when you make your french fries, onion rings and tator tots too!

Head on over to the Love Cooking Company and take a look around. You can buy this product and many other Mrs. Fields products on Amazon.com.

Giveaway: One lucky winner is going to win a Mrs. Fields Cool Bake Baking Sheet from the Love Cooking Company.

Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the USA ONLY who are age 18 and over. Please read the Terms of Service and Disclaimer Policy before entering. You must be a PUBLIC FOLLOWER of this Blog to have your entries count in my giveaways. (Follow via Google Friend Connect) All non-blog followers will have their entries disqualified after the giveaway closes. This giveaway will close on November 30th, 2014 at midnight EST time.



Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. The Shakin N Bakin Blog is not responsible for delivery/shipping of giveaway items won from this blog nor are we responsible for mis-use or injury caused by items won from this Blog. Content on this blog is copyrighted, all rights reserved. We reserve the right to legally pursue anyone who violates our rights and/or steals our copyrighted material.

The Arctic Chill Ice Ball Maker is one of those products you never think you need but you do! Once you own a set of these ice ball makers you will find that you use them over and over again. You can make plain ice balls with them or let your creativity fly.

I was asked to do a review by Rizzi at Arctic Chill on this really cool product. Since receiving it we have used it twice and my daughter used it once during their recent Halloween party. Since I do a lot of entertaining around the holidays, I know I will be getting a lot of use out of them when I whip up some of our favorite holiday punches and cocktails.

By making your own ice balls quickly & easily you can keep your cold beverages for hours! These spheres (balls) keep your drinks cold up to 10 times longer than traditional ice cubes. How cool is that? Super Cool! Plus...you will be saving money when you don't have to buy numerous bags of ice!
Product Features:

* 2.5 inch ice spheres keeps fine whiskey chilled and looks fab in cocktails!
* Quick release, non-stick silicone molds. Remove your ice spheres with ease!
* High quality BPA Free, FDA approved, nonporous silicone molds!
* Easy to clean just pop it in the dishwasher!
* Backed by a lifetime guarantee.

Recently my daughter hosted a Halloween party over at her home and she came over and borrowed the Arctic Chill Ice Ball Maker from me. They made their own ice balls and froze gummy worms and gummy spiders inside their spheres and then dropped the ice spheres into their punch bowl. She said everyone loved it (she forgot to take photos!).
Right after their party I had a few people over for cocktails and dinner and we made the ice spheres for our punch bowl. They are really easy to use and each silicone sphere comes in 2 pieces. You put the two halves together...fill them up with liquid (we used water) and place them into your freezer. Ours were frozen solid in less than 6 hours. When you are ready for them...take them out and separate the two halves with your fingers. It is really easy to do and it doesn't take any muscle at all. Pop out your ice balls and drop them into your favorite beverages. Super easy and they look super cute, much cuter than traditional ice cubes!

Like I said, once you have a set...you will find that you will use them over and over again. I consider them to be eco-friendly because I don't have to run out and buy bagged ice! Furthermore, you can use flavored beverages to make your ice spheres. When we host our Christmas Eve party we are going to pour punch in them and make punch flavored ice spheres and then toss them into our punch bowl. This will keep our punch from becoming watered down plus...it will keep it nice and cold!
Regarding clean-up...they are made out of silicone so I just rinsed them with a little soapy water and then clean water...towel dry and they are ready to go for the next time. You can purchase the iceball maker from Amazon.com.

Giveaway: One lucky winner is going to win an Arctic Chill Ice Ball Maker. Value $19.95.

Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the USA ONLY who are age 18 and over. Please read the Terms of Service and Disclaimer Policy before entering. You must be a PUBLIC FOLLOWER of this Blog to have your entries count in my giveaways. (Follow via Google Friend Connect) All non-blog followers will have their entries disqualified after the giveaway closes. This giveaway will close on November 28th, 2014 at midnight EST time.




Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. The Shakin N Bakin Blog is not responsible for delivery/shipping of giveaway items won from this blog nor are we responsible for mis-use or injury caused by items won from this Blog. Content on this blog is copyrighted, all rights reserved. We reserve the right to legally pursue anyone who violates our rights and/or steals our copyrighted material.

When I was a little girl I used to sit in the kitchen for hours watching my grandmother preserve food. Over the years, I learned how to do home canning myself and I am constantly learning new things and trying out new products. Today, I am excited to tell you about two fabulous items!

How many of you struggle with finding caps for all of your glass mason jars? I know once we pop one open to enjoy the contents...many times there are leftovers inside that I want to save. Personally, I hate using those metal rings and caps once we are enjoying the product. They are a royal pain to deal with.

Well, a solution is finally here! You can now buy The Original reCAP for Mason Jars! They are made out of plastic and can be used over & over again. No rusting to deal with and frankly, they are easier to use. They are BPA free and made in the U.S.A.

I received two for this review. One will fit a wide mouth mason jar and the other one will fit a regular mouth. Each package includes a label that you can cut out and use on your jars (list the contents, weight, date, etc).

The "Pour Spout" Mason Jar caps can be used with wet or dry goods. They are eco-friendly because you can reuse them over & over again. I also found that they were very easy to clean...a little soap & water...your done!
All of my wide mouth jars are currently in-use in my pantry so I tested out my new "toys" on a regular mouth mason jar. I always keep chocolate chips on hand in a jar because we like to toss them into our pancake batter, waffle batter and when the Princess is over at our house...she tosses them into her ice cream. Now that I have this new reCap Mason Jar Pour Spout Cap....I can easily get to our chocolate chips!
The company has a new Kickstarter project for the new reCap Flip Cap and they are looking for supporters. I love the idea of having a flip cap on my mason jars which will be perfect for my jam jars, relish and other condiments that we use a lot.

* Created by a Woman Entrepreneur & Problem-Solving-Mom
* Proudly MADE IN THE USA
* Products transform Mason jars into multi-purpose, reusable, sustainable containers
Please check out Kickstarter to support this wonderful product launch and help back a U.S.A. made product! You can also visit MasonJars.com for additional information on the company and the products. On Social Media at: Facebook and Twitter.

Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. The Shakin N Bakin Blog is not responsible for delivery/shipping of giveaway items won from this blog nor are we responsible for mis-use or injury caused by items won from this Blog. Content on this blog is copyrighted, all rights reserved. We reserve the right to legally pursue anyone who violates our rights and/or steals our copyrighted material.

I am a self-professed neat & clean freak but one of the things I absolutely hate to clean is my kitchen oven. That's right, that is one cleaning task I try to avoid like the plague. Normally when our oven needs cleaned, I get my husband to do it as I can't stand the smell of oven cleaners.

Well today, I have solved 90% of that problem with the COOKINA Gard Oven Protector that is 100% toxin free! This handy dandy protector mat keeps the bottom of the oven clean thanks to its 100% non-stick oven liner! The entire mat measures 15.75" by 22.83" in size.
It is a great alternative to messy aluminum foil that is not reusable. It will fit any size oven and is suitable for gas ovens, electric ovens and microwaves. It is heat resistant up to 500 degrees F. It is reversible, reusable and very easy to clean! Plus, it comes with it's own scour pad which is included!

I have a standard sized oven so I didn't need to trim it at all...but if you have a smaller oven or want to use it in your microwave you simply trim it down to size with a pair of scissors. Before you use it for the first time, you will want to hand wash it, towel dry.

Once it is dirty and needs cleaned, remove it from your oven and soak it in warm, soapy water. If needed, use the included scour pad to get off grease and grime. Rinse and dry before placing it back into your oven.
I have had this oven protector for over a week now and I love it! I made a pizza a few days ago in the oven and the cheese melted down and was caught on the oven protector. What a life saver because after the oven cooled, I pulled the oven protector out and washed it in my sink...dried it and put it back into the oven again. In addition, mom made a batch of muffins last week and she over-filled some of the muffin cups. Normally that would of been a burnt mess in the bottom of my oven but not this time thanks to the COOKINA Gard Oven Protector!!!

I am giving this product a huge 2-thumbs up! It is a time-saver and I no longer have to fret about cleaning my oven! Head on over to COOKINA to learn more about the company and the products that they have to offer.

Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. The Shakin N Bakin Blog is not responsible for delivery/shipping of giveaway items won from this blog nor are we responsible for mis-use or injury caused by items won from this Blog. Content on this blog is copyrighted, all rights reserved. We reserve the right to legally pursue anyone who violates our rights and/or steals our copyrighted material.

I love to cook for my family but baking is my real passion! Every week I love to bake up tasty treats like homemade breads, pies, muffins, cookies and brownies. We are not big fans of store-bought baked goods so 9 chances out of 10, I make & bake them myself.

For the past few years I have been using Nielsen-Massey Vanilla but had never tried their Pure Chocolate Extract. Well, until now! This extract is very versatile in the kitchen and once you have it, you will find all different kinds of ways to use it.

Crafted from the finest cocoa beans, the Pure Chocolate Extract embodies the uninhibited depth and flavor of dark chocolate. This extract is ideal for adding extra layers of this divine flavor to any recipe with chocolate as the base. Also, use it to add subtle distinction to a wide range of dishes, including beverages, desserts, sauces, chilis and other spicy foods. This extract pairs exceptionally well with chile peppers, tomatoes, legumes and, naturally, vanilla.

1 Tbs. Chocolate Extract = 1 Tbs. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Tbs. Chocolate Extract + 1 tsp. Sugar = ½ oz. Semi-sweet Chocolate.
I decided to try out my new Pure Chocolate Extract in a batch of homemade brownies. I followed my normal brownies recipe and then added in 1 Tbsp. of the Pure Chocolate Extract. Mixed up my batter, poured it into my baking pan and baked as normal.  With this particular batch of chocolate brownies I also added in some miniature marshmallows which my family just loves. That addition makes them fudgy and gooey...just the way we like them!

So, now for the taste-test. For once...our brownies had a decadent and pure chocolate taste! It wasn't overly chocolatey at all. They had a richness to them that left you craving for more! Matter of fact, the family demolished that pan of brownies in record time!

I am so glad that I have this bottle of Pure Chocolate Extract in my pantry now. With the holidays coming and baking season upon us, I am sure I will be reaching for it often. Love it!

Giveaway: One lucky winner is going to win a bottle of the Nielsen-Massey Pure Chocolate Extract!

Giveaway Details: This giveaway is open to residents of the USA ONLY who are age 18 and over. Please read the Terms of Service and Disclaimer Policy before entering. You must be a PUBLIC FOLLOWER of this Blog to have your entries count in my giveaways. (Follow via Google Friend Connect) All non-blog followers will have their entries disqualified after the giveaway closes. This giveaway will close on October 25th, 2014 at midnight EST time.



Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. The Shakin N Bakin Blog is not responsible for delivery/shipping of giveaway items won from this blog nor are we responsible for mis-use or injury caused by items won from this Blog. Content on this blog is copyrighted, all rights reserved. We reserve the right to legally pursue anyone who violates our rights and/or steals our copyrighted material.

The IMUSA Lemon & Lime Squeezer is a handy tool that makes extracting citrus juice a breeze. Simply press down to squeeze and extract juice while pulp and seeds are being separated. It is so easy to use that even a child could do it and we know that children like to help out in the kitchen too!

I received the IMUSA Lemon Squeezer to try out for all of you and let me tell you...it is fantastic! I use fresh lemons every week here in my home to make homemade lemonade or to add some fresh lemon juice to a recipe that I am making.
It is made out of cast aluminum and to use it: Just insert half of a lemon with pulp side down and squeeze. All of the juice comes out and the seeds & rind is left above. When we use it...NO seeds escape which is really nice and all of the juice is extracted. Clean up is a breeze too! I hand wash it, towel dry and put it in my gadget drawer.
Now that I have a great Lemon Squeezer I find myself using lemon juice even more! Just in the past few days I whipped up a big pitcher of lemonade, squeezed some lemon juice to add to a jug of iced tea and last night for dinner we used it again to squeeze out some fresh lemon juice for a chicken recipe that we were making.

Helpful Tip: Now I have a little tip for all of you. Don't throw that rind away! Take the time to grate it up, place it into a freezer bag and then whenever a recipe calls for fresh grated lemon or line peel/rind...you will have it on hand! I do that all of the time and it works great for recipes that don't call for juice but call for grated citrus peel.

Head on over to IMUSA and take a look around. They sell all kinds of great kitchen items that I would love to have! Plus, you can print out some tasty recipes while you are there too!

Disclaimer: Shelly Hill has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. The Shakin N Bakin Blog is not responsible for delivery/shipping of giveaway items won from this blog nor are we responsible for mis-use or injury caused by items won from this Blog. Content on this blog is copyrighted, all rights reserved. We reserve the right to legally pursue anyone who violates our rights and/or steals our copyrighted material.