Cook'n Recipe Organizer - review and giveaway

I received a complimentary copy as a participant in the Tryazon Cook'n Recipe Exchange Party back in October. I had previously had an older version. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family.

I love to cook and to bake. I love to find and try new recipes. One of my biggest challenges was always organization. I have a recipe box that is partially populated with cards. I have a recipe accordion file that is full of some recipes that I got from my family at one of my wedding showers, plus some others that I have added. I have two write your own cookbooks - one that maxed out on space (you could add refills and I did until the rings could hold no more) and a second one that is not quite full but is set up to hold a combination of papers you write directly on and some pockets to hold recipe cards. I also have a folder that contains hundreds of recipes that I have clipped from newspapers, magazines and even printed from the internet over the years that I had wanted to try. Once I tried them, I would either transfer them to a recipe card or a cookbook or throw them out if we didn't like them. (This was all before Pinterest of course, now I just Pin them and try them later. My organization there is a whole other issue.)

Having my recipes was great, but with so many places, it could be hard to locate the recipe that I was looking for, although I became an expert on location of some of the most used recipes. In addition, sharing with friends and family required either typing it up to share or writing it out on a note card. Then, a few years ago, I discovered the wonder that is Cook'n Recipe Organizer.

There are a number of features that I love about Cook'n. The first is that I can easily enter my own recipes. Not only can I type them up, if I am able to find a recipe online, I can use the features in Cook'n to capture recipes from the internet. In my experience, most of them over clean but sometimes you have to do a little bit of cleanup to align the ingredient name. One of the improvements that was made in the most recent version is that you can capture from almost any site now...it used to be limited to a handful of sites. I often will do a quick search to see if I can find a similar recipe, as a means of expediting the load of the recipe. There is also functionality that let's you scan or capture a photo of a recipe and import it to your cookbook. You can customize your chapters, to organize in a way that makes sense to you and change them as you go. I started with just a dessert category, but have since split it out to put cookies into their own chapter. I love the flexibility.

The program is able to calculate the nutrition per serving and uses values from the preferred or designated brand for the ingredients. Can't find your favorite? You can add you own ingredients and brands, allowing you to base your calculations on the ingredients and brands that you use. This is a nice feature in my opinion. For my favorites, I have entered the details from the nutrition label on the package and made that brand my preferred brand for the ingredient.

Once you have a recipe saved, it is also easy to scale your recipe. There is functionality to help you with menu planning and will even generate a grocery list. Plan your menu by dragging and dropping the recipes onto the weekly plan. Then, click on the grocery list and it will generate based on the recipes. Clean up the list to remove on hand ingredients and you are ready to go.

With the newest version, you can now Sync your recipes to your mobile devices. I really like this functionality, because now, I can take the iPad to the kitchen and easily access my recipes where I am, without having to print or walk back and forth to my computer while I am baking and cooking. It is also nice because with it on my phone, I can quickly reference a recipe...whether I am at the store and found a great deal and want to update my meal plan or I am talking to a friend and want to share it with them. Speaking of sharing, quick share buttons that allow you to e-mail, post to Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Google+ are available on your recipes. You can also use the embed in website button to get an HTML version complete with formatting for the theme. You can share links to your recipe as well.

There are several available cookbooks that you can buy and download into the software. This is a great way to find new recipes and increase your database. Just the other week, there was an offer from Rhodes bread in the Sunday coupon flyer to download their cookbook to Cook'n. Most of the other cookbooks are available for a nominal cost.

The newest version also features a Live Recipe feed, that provides a picture and link to several recently used recipes. It includes the most captured recipe from the last 24 hours and last 7 days, giving you the perfect opportunity to find some popular recipes. You can even customize the feed to easily follow your favorite sites and see the recently added recipes.

The search functionality in the software allows you to search a particular cookbook or chapter, all of Cook'n or even the internet. Search by key words to find ingredients you have on hand, focus on recipe names only and even search based on ratings. It really has worked well for me when looking for recipes.

I really can't say enough good things about the software. I simply love it.

I think it makes a great gift for family or friends that love to cook. This weekend, Cook'n is offering a great special on the software. You can get it for only $20, the regular retail price is $80...that is 75% off! Here is the link to this amazing offer. After this weekend, you can still save on your purchase, go to http://www.dvo.com/ to place your order and simply use the following code at checkout to save 50%: mb-busymom.

You can learn more about Tryazon by visiting them on Facebook or following them on Twitter or Pinterest.

Giveaway!

In addition, I have the opportunity through my participation the Tryazon party to giveaway one complimentary copy to one A Busy Mom of Two reader.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Giveaway will remain open through December 10th. Winners will be selected through Rafflecopter. The winner will have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

I received a complimentary copy as a participant in the Tryazon Cook'n Recipe Exchange Party back in October. I had previously had an older version. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. The discount code and the giveaway copy are compliments of Cook'n.

Lloyd's Barbeque - Giveaway!

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

A few weeks ago, we took a family vacation to Walt Disney World (I really do mean to share the insights, tips and tricks, but I never seem to have the time). We timed our trip this year to hit the end of the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. My son, who as of late seems to be becoming quite a little foodie, wanted to try food at all the stations. We didn't get to all of them, but did hit quite a few of them. One of the first things that we tried was a Pork Slider at the Hawaii station. It was pork, a pineapple chutney, a spicy mayonnaise on a slider roll.

As I was exploring the Lloyd's page on Hormel.com, I found a recipe for a Barbeque Pineapple and Chicken sandwich.

I am certain this dish is not quite the same, I was thinking of starting with this recipe, swapping in Pork for the Chicken, omitting the cheese and adding a spiced up mayo to see how close we could get to the sandwich we all enjoyed at Epcot.

Giveaway!
As a Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger, I have been invited to share with my readers 10 coupons for Lloyd's BBQ. You could try the recipe I mention above or any number of recipes featured on the Lloyd's page or simply enjoy them as sandwiches (also good just served up 'open-face' on crackers).

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Giveaway will remain open through December 5th. Winners will be selected through Rafflecopter. The winner will have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected. Coupons are only good until 12/31/14 and will be mailed to the winners. A Busy Mom of Two is not responsible for lost or misdirected mail.


No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product and some of the information and images for this post.

The Day After Thanksgiving

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

Thanksgiving was a wonderful (and quiet) holiday. It was just the four of us at home celebrating and one of my friends, whose husband and kids had traveled to his hometown for the week, joined us for the meal. Everything was so flavorful and it was nice just to relax at home and spend time together.

With a mid-day meal, we didn't do anything formal for dinner. I pulled out some finger foods and dessert (pumpkin cheesecake) for the group to munch on. Times like this my family enjoys snacking on cheese and crackers. A perfect time to enjoy a Hormel Gatherings Party or Snack Tray (we love the Snack Tray size - they are great for snacking with just the family!)

In fact, we kept and cleaned the tray from the HORMEL GATHERINGS™ Supreme Party Trayand actually as pictured here refilled it with the contents of the smaller HORMEL® Snack Tray Pepperoni Bites (the pepperoni, cheese and pretzels)

and served it with some crackers and dip to make it a one stop snack station.

I hadn't planned to go out shopping at all yesterday, but the family joined my friend for one quick stop so she could have others check out the furniture she was going to get - since her family wasn't there to help her. Then, after the kids went to bed, I ventured out to Target to pick up a few of the less popular Black Friday deals. It was strange, there was almost no lines and there were even some of the displays that were not on the beaten path that were still fully intact (I had to remove the little plastic disc from the end of the hanging posts that holds the items in place during transit in order to purchase the item - all but one post had the disc still there). I was able to get everything that was on my list and more - 40% off all clothes was a great deal, I might have gotten more if I didn't want to get home at a decent time. I was glad I didn't linger, as the parking lot and minor road ways were icy and it only got colder as the night went on.

This morning, again, no early alarm setting for me. When I did get moving, I made three quick stops - Target (10% off Target Gift Cards), Kohl's (assorted doorbuster deals through 1 pm) and Giant Eagle (Amazon gift cards, 20% Fuel Perks). I had planned to get to CVS, but was beat and decided I could go later or tomorrow.

We enjoyed leftovers for lunch and now, we are just relaxing and the kids are watching movies. I love long holiday weekends with nothing specific scheduled to be done. I think it is a wonderful contrast to our normally (over) programmed lives of sports, activities, school and work.

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product and some of the information and images for this post.

Holiday Gift Guide kick-off

It still seems a little strange to me that we are less than a month from Christmas and the other winter holidays that are celebrated.

With the weather we have been having in northeast Ohio, I must say that I am definitely in the mood. We had our first notable snow fall over a week ago - certainly nothing like Buffalo saw, but snow and cold.

Then, of course, with a white Thanksgiving and Black Friday now underway, it continues to put me into the holiday mode.

I don't have a set list of specific items, but more so some thoughts on types of gifts that have served us well over the years. Gifts that the kids come back to over and over again and those that we get the most feedback on. Hopefully, if you are stuck with what to get someone on your list, some of the ideas that I share will help you come up with some ideas. The link will take you back to posts that I have done over the years at the holidays...and yes, it is likely that many of them will overlap - perhaps that is just further evidence that they have stood the test of time that I still consider them a good idea.

I don't have many, but there are a giveaway or two that will be coming up during the series too.

CVS Deals!

I feel like it has been forever since there were deals at CVS that had me planning a trip. I am sure that there have been some here or there deals, but I think that the deals the week of Thanksgiving are amongst my favorites. Anyone know if their Thanksgiving ad will have more deals?

I got all of this for just about $4 before tax. I submitted for a $.75 iBotta rebate. (you can sign up through this link)
3 - boxes of Kleenex Tissues
1 - 11 oz can Green Giant Corn
1 - box Kraft Macaroni and Cheese
1 - CVS soft wipes
1 - 4pk Advil tabs
1 - Vitamin Water
1 - 3 Musketeers
1 - Reese Cup
1 - Wrigley 5 gum
1 - Colgate MaxFresh toothpaste

I also got 4 rain checks. The rain checks were for Combos, Theater Box candy, and gum. Some of the other items that were out were special purchase items that aren't stocked, so I couldn't get those.

It took me a couple of minutes to reform my deals and ultimately, cost me about $1 more out of pocket, but also left me with $.99 ECB more than my original plan.

Did you get any of this weeks deals?

Planning for Thanksgiving

*information for this post was in part supplied by Hormel Foods through their Hormel Extended Family Blogger program. No compensation was received for this post.

Are you the host for Thanksgiving? When I am planning for an event, I love to be able to get as much done ahead of time as possible.

For the past 8 years, I have done a traditional turkey dinner for my daughter's birthday and the realization quickly set in that with only one oven, the only way to pull it off is to work ahead. For me, this starts with roasting my turkey the night before the event. Once roasted, I can let it cool before carving. This is great because it reabsorbs much of the cooking broth in the process, resulting in moist turkey. Plus, I can get the turkey cleaned and the carcass thrown out and get the kitchen cleaned up. I place the turkey into a 9x13 (or a little larger) glass pan, add a small amount of broth, cover tightly with aluminum in set in my refrigerator. The next day, I put it in the oven with my other dishes and cook it for about 30 - 45 minutes to cook it through. I also gather the remaining broth and set in the refrigerator to use to make gravy the next day.

I also like to prep my side dishes. The first I always do is next day mashed potatoes. I boil the potatoes and mash them with some added ingredients, like cream cheese, and put in another glass pan. The potatoes take about 45 - 60 minutes to cook the next day. I also do my sweet potatoes, because I do a mashed sweet potato casserole. They take about 45 minutes to cook the next day. I also prepare my stuffing, although I suppose since it never sees the turkey it is technically dressing. I usually use a few pieces of the carved turkey and a little of the cooking broth in the preparation of my stuffing...which I can only do if I prepare the turkey the day ahead.

I also do all of my cutting and chopping for my fruit salad and vegetable tray. Then, the day of, I can quickly set out the vegetables and have plenty at the ready for refilling the tray. I assemble the fruit salad day of, in order to keep things fresh.

I typically prepare my vegetable dishes the day of the event and put them in the oven along side the other dishes that are cooking. I like to do a broccoli and cauliflower dish, but this year I think I am going to try the Bacon and Green Bean Casserole Deluxe featured on the Hormel site.

It is much like the traditional one, with a kick of bacon bits - after all, everything is better with bacon. We don't do mushroom soup, so I will swap in cream of celery or onion to give it a good creamy texture. Best thing is, you can make this one the day ahead and then simply warm and serve.

This year our celebration will just be the immediate family, so we are trying out the Jennie-O Oven Ready Turkey Breast. I must say, I am intrigued by this one, it "goes straight from your freezer to your oven". I am so used to thawing. It comes in an oven ready back and you simply pull out of your freezer, remove from the outer bag and put it in your oven in a roasting pan. I will have to let you know how it goes. I also will not be prepping the sides, because I will not need a full casserole of mashed potatoes and can just make up a small pan day of.

No compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family. I am completing this post as a participant in the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger program. Hormel Foods provided some product and some of the information and images for this post.

Qrunch Burgers Review and Giveaway!

No compensation was received for this post. The manufacturer provided the coupons for the giveaway. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family.

A few months ago, on a week where my husband was doing the grocery shopping, he came home with a new product that he had tried and a few coupons from the demo stand. The product was Qrunch burgers. As recently as a year ago, I would have been surprised that he had bought some, but lately he seems to be more open to new foods. We don't have any dietary restrictions or try to eat a certain way, other than just an overall balanced, healthy diet with reasonable portions (at least most of the time).

Qrunch burgers are made with Quinoa and other vegetables/beans depending on the variety. The products are Gluten-free, Soy-free, Wheat-free, Nut-free, Egg-free, Dairy-free, Corn-free, Animal-free, Light Sodium and use Ancient Grains (Quinoa). Looking at a list like that might make you wonder about the flavor, which by the way is great. Not only are they flavorful, they have a nice crunch when prepared too.

The product is so easy to prepare. You can make them in your toaster. Put it through two cycles in your standard toaster and your Qrunch burger is ready to eat. We eat them like a burger, placing them on a bun and topping with tomatoes, lettuce, mustard, ketchup, etc.

There are five varieties of Qrunch burgers - Original, Spicy Italian, Green Chile, Sweet Curry and a new one that I am going to have to find - Saucy Buffalo. We have tried the first four flavors. The family favorite is the Spicy Italian, but my husband also likes the Original and the Green Chile. I am sure that when we find Saucy Buffalo, that will be a favorite too.

At just about 200 calories per Qrunch burger, varies slightly by variety, we find that they fit well in our diet.

Have you tried Qrunch burgers? What did you think?

Giveaway!
Courtesy of Qrunch Foods, I have several $1.00 off coupons that I can giveaway to A Busy Mom of Two readers. The coupons are good through the end of the year.


a Rafflecopter giveaway




Giveaway will remain open through December 1st. Winners will be selected through Rafflecopter. The winner will have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected. Coupons are only good until 12/31/14 and will be mailed to the winners. A Busy Mom of Two is not responsible for lost or misdirected mail.
No compensation was received for this post. The manufacturer provided the coupons for the giveaway. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family.

Becoming Bea by Leslie Gould

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.
I recently had the chance to read the latest book from Leslie Gould - Becoming Bea. This book is the 4th in The Courtships of Lancaster County, but the first that I read. Jumping in in the middle of the series was not an issue, as the author did a great job of providing back story as needed.

Bea and Ben had known each other since they were in school and as scholars, there was always a competition between them. They had courted briefly, but something had brought that to an end. This really hit home for me, as there was a guy that I went to school with that I was always competing with and even had a crush on at one point. I never dated the guy from school, but used to wonder what if. I really like how the author developed the lead characters because it made them easy to relate to. Like many young adults, finding herself in a new environment helps Bea learn things that she didn't know about herself and overcome fears that she had. This learning helps her become a more confident and slower to react to things around her. Of course, if you want to find out more about Bea, what she learns and what happens, reading the story is the best way.

As with much of the Amish fiction that I have read, the fact that the characters are Amish seems to be more of a component of the background or scenery, nuances in the story. The story transcends their faith and could be about anyone, anywhere.

I enjoyed reading this book by Leslie Gould and plan to read her other books - perhaps starting with the earlier books in the series, to learn even more about some of the characters that I met in Becoming Bea.

About the book: Can Bea and Ben Turn Rivalry Into Romance?

Beatrice Zook knows God wants her to learn patience toward others. When assisting a family overwhelmed by triplets proves surprisingly successful, her confidence in dealing with others, both young and old, grows.

One person she'll never be able to find peace with though is Ben Rupp. They've known each other forever, and Ben understands precisely how to antagonize her. What neither she nor Ben will admit is that beneath all their bickering, attraction awaits. When friends decide to try and bring the couple together, will the pair be able to find true love? Or will they damage their relationship beyond repair?

Purchase a copy here.

About the author: Leslie Gould is the coauthor, with Mindy Starns Clark, of the #1 CBA bestseller The Amish Midwife, a 2012 Christy Award winner; ECPA bestseller Courting Cate, first in the Courtships of Lancaster County series; and Beyond the Blue, winner of the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice for Best Inspirational Novel, 2006. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Portland State University and has taught fiction writing at Multnomah University as an adjunct professor. She and her familyl live in Portland, Oregon.

Find Leslie online: website, Facebook, and Twitter

You can find more reviews and information on the blog tour landing page.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Sarah E. Ladd's A Lady at Willowgrove Hall

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.
Recently, I had the opportunity to read A Lady at Willowgrove Hall, by Sarah E. Ladd. The book was set in England in the early 1800s. Historical fiction is a genre that I find very enjoyable. I'm not sure I fully understand the intricacies of the class structure, but still I find it intriguing. The properness of the relationships and the interaction between men and women is very interesting. There is something inherently romantic about period literature from my perspective.

I really enjoyed the book. From the beginning, the reader was brought right into the story and felt a quick connection with the characters. The author did a fine job developing the characters. The secrets that they held were slowly revealed, as needed to better understand the characters.

Reading this book left me wanting to read more period pieces and I certainly will check out the other works by Sarah E. Ladd. In fact, after completing the book, I discovered that it was actually the third book in the series.

If you enjoy period pieces or romances, I would recommend you read this book.

About the book:

Her secret cloaks her in isolation and loneliness.

His secret traps him in a life that is not his own.

Cecily Faire carries the shame of her past wherever she treads, knowing one slip of the tongue could strip away everything she holds dear. But soon after accepting the position of lady's companion at Willowgrove Hall, Cecily finds herself face-to-face with a man well-acquainted with the past she's desperately hidden for years.

Nathaniel Stanton has a secret of his own --- one that has haunted him from birth and tied him to his father's position as steward of Willowgrove. To protect his family, Nathaniel dares not breath a word of the truth. But as long as the shadow looms over him, he'll never be free to find his own way in the world. He'll never be free to fall in love.

When the secrets swirling within Willowgrove Hall come to light, Cecily and Nathaniel must confront a painful choice: Will they continue running from the past . . . or will they stand together and build a future without the suffocating weight of secrets long suffered?

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/CsnBw

About the author:

Sarah E. Ladd has more than ten years of marketing experience. She is a graduate of Ball State University and holds degrees in public relations and marketing. The Heiress of Winterwood was the recipient of the 2011 Genesis Award for historical romance. Sarah lives in Indiana with her amazing husband, sweet daughter, and spunky Golden Retriever.

Find Sarah online: website, Facebook, Twitter

Find more reviews from the blog tour and information about the book here.


No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.