- Good food, good company, good advice from Grandma

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I received product as compensation for this post.

John Frieda is well known in the hair care business. The line includes everything from Moisturizing Shampoo to Frizz Ease and styling tools for just about any hair type. They have different products for making your hair more controllable, shinier, and easier to manage, no matter if you are Brunette, Blonde, or Redhead. John Frieda also puts his name on Full Volume Hair Dryers, Sleek Finish Flat irons, Sleek Finish Paddle Brushes, and Loose Curls 1 1/4 inch Curling Irons.

The Loose Curls 1 1/4 inch Curling Iron creates looser curls because it has a larger curling barrel than other dryers. It is made with advanced ionic technology, with high heat up to 400°F/205°C and true ceramic technology. There are 11 temperature settings that will allow you to choose the best heat temperature for you hair type. You can read all the information about the John Frieda Loose Curls Curling Iron on their website.

BUY IT: Find the John Frieda Loose Curls 1 1/4″ Curling Iron at Target.com for $24.99. It is also avaliable at Ulta, CVS, and Best Buy.

WIN IT: One reader will win a John Frieda Loose Curls 1 1/4″ Curling Iron. Use the Giveaway Tools form to enter:

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The Holiday Table: Bellasera Flatware by Zwilling J.A. Henckels

Karen · 33 Comments

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Cooking.com provided me with a 45 piece set service for 8 of Bellasera Flatware by Zwilling J.A. Henckels for review. I don’t know how it is at your house, but at mine, forks and spoons just seem to wander away, and get lost. Once they are lost, they never find their way back home again. It has been years since I had a full set of flatware, and just recently, Fabgrandpa and I had a family of four as guests for dinner, and we did not have enough forks to go around. I know there is no guarantee that all the pieces of this set will be in the flatware drawer a year from now, but I can tell you that I am very happy with this complete new set.

Aside from this flatware being shiny and new, and a complete set, I like the way it feels in my hands. It has a good, hefty weight to it, and is strong enough that the spoons and fork prongs won’t bend. It seemed like every piece of flatware I had before now was bent in some way just by using it everyday. I like that Bellasera is a simple, plain pattern that will complement any dinnerware pattern I choose to use it with. And, I love the uniqueness of the knives. They are made so that the blade stands upright on the table. I have never seen that in any other flatware pattern before.

Check out these features of Bellasera Flatware:

Set includes 45 matching flatware pieces
Eight place settings
Serving pieces included
Stainless steel construction
Unique standing knife design
Well-balanced pieces

Purchase Bellasera Flatware by Zwilling J.A. Henckels at Cooking.com today for the cook on your Christmas list for only $109.95, which is a savings of 40%.

The Holiday Table: Pfaltzgraff Rustic Leaves Dinnerware

Karen · 320 Comments

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Up until now, I have shared products that would help you prepare for a holiday meal, from start to finish. But what do you need to serve that meal? Well, Dinnerware of course! The Rustic Leaves pattern from Pfaltzgraff is one of the prettiest dinnerware patterns I have seen in a long time. The fall colored leaves are perfect for Thanksgiving, or for year round every day dinnerware. I love the serving pieces that can be purchased separately, too, like this leaf shaped bowl. It is available in brown or green, and match the dinnerware colors perfectly:

Pfalttzgraff has been in business for more than 200 years, so you know that their products are the best you can buy. They have a long-standing tradition of excellence in craftsmanship, quality and service. This commitment to being responsive to its customers, and to adapting its products and policies to their ever-changing needs, has enabled Pfaltzgraff to prosper for almost two centuries.

The Rustic Leaves pattern comes in several set sizes, and includes several different serving pieces that match it. There is a set to fit just about any size family from a 16 piece service for 4 to a set big enough for 16 place settings.

BUY IT: You can purchase Pfaltzgraff Rustic Leaves at Belk.comThe 16 piece service for 4 is on sale now at Belk.com for $69.99

WIN IT: One reader will win a 16 piece service for 4 valued at $69.99! This giveaway is open to residents of the USA and Canada. Use the Giveaway Tools form to enter:

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9 Yummy Easy Desserts For Christmas

Karen · 7 Comments

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Someone sent me a huge box of lemons the other day. I mean, there were probably about three dozen Meyer Lemons in the box. I decided that the best use for some of them would be a lemon cake, and here is what I came up with.

Gluten Free Double Lemon Cake

1 box of your favorite gluten free yellow cake mix (I used Betty Crocker but any gluten free yellow cake mix will do.

2/3 cup lemon juice

3 eggs

1 stick of butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup gluten free flour (any kind you have on hand)

1 16 oz jar of Lemon Curd or make your own

1 pint heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup sugar

Make the cake according to directions on the back of the box, except substitute the 2/3 cup lemon juice for the water, and add 1/4 cup sugar. Spray two 8″ or 9″ cake pans with olive oil spray, then coat the pans with gluten free flour. Divide the cake batter evenly between the two pans. Bake in a 350° oven for 25-35 minutes. Let the cake layers cool completely.

Pour the heavy cream into a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla and sugar. Beat on high speed with an electric mixer until the cream is thickened.

Place on cake layer on a cake plate, top down. Spread 1/2 of the lemon curd on the layer, then spread half of the whipped cream over the lemon curd. Place the second layer top up on top on the first layer. Spread with the rest of the lemon curd and whipped cream. Refrigerate until serving.

Here are some more yummy desserts to serve at your holiday parties:

Peanut Butter Fudge from Being Alison:

Sheri from Kidsumers makes this beautiful fruit dessert:

Dianna from Oy Vey A Day has an easy to make Hershey Kiss Pretzel Twists:

Sheila from Sheilacakes makes these Caramel Walnut Crumbly Bars:

I found the recipe for Cat’s Mini Ditch Apple Waffle Pies at Food Family & Finds:

Just take a look at this roll up from Simply Gluten Free:

This beautiful Caramel Cake from Fudge Ripple made me think of the ones my mother used to make:

Finally, this Chocolate Lasagna from Hugs & Cookies XOXO makes my mouth water:

Family Gift Guide: Ballerina Music Box From Music Box Attic

Karen · 7 Comments

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This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase from Music Box Attic, I will receive a commission.

When I was a little girl, I wanted a Ballerina Music Box for Christmas. I could hardly wait for Christmas Day and Santa to come, so I would have that most anticipated treasure in my hands. After my brothers, sister, and I went to bed on Christmas Eve, we could actually hear Santa in the living room. We were all too afraid to peek! I could hear the tinkling of a music box and fell asleep a happy girl. When we woke up the next day, and ran to see what Santa had brought, I discovered that the music had been playing from a Fisher-Price wind up clock for my baby sister. The jewelry box that Santa brought did not play music or have a little dancing ballerina in it. It was just a plain pink box lined with velvet. Santa had even thought to bring some jewelry too, but I was so sad that I did not receive the music.

I know I told that story a hundred times through the years, as it was the most disappointing Christmas gift I can remember. I know that Santa meant well, but it was the music box I wanted, not the jewelry or jewelry box. Then, on Christmas Day when I was a lot older, my fourteen year old daughter could not wait for me to open her gift to me. I had been shaking it, and holding it for at least a week since she put it under the tree and just could not imagine what it could be. But, since she wanted me to open that gift first, I decided that it must surely be a camera. Much to my surprise, it was a Ballerina Music Box that was exactly like the one I had dreamed of as a little girl! I took it out of the box, and wound it up, and let that little ballerina dance around and around. And I cried. Not just tears of joy, but uncontrollable sobs.

My children thought that they had done something terribly wrong. How could they begin to understand that my daughter had given me my childhood, all wrapped up in Christmas paper and bows? My daughter is now forty years old, and I still have that little ballerina music box, and I keep my most valuable jewelry in it.

You can make your little girl, or the little girl in your wife, sister, or mother, so happy this Christmas with a music box from Music Box Attic. No matter if she is 4 or 40 or 84, she will treasure it forever. You can find many different styles of traditional music boxes, snow globes, and musical figurines at Music Box Attic. I found this great Lord of The Rings Snow Globe!

Save 15% off every purchase this month with code December15.

Family Gift Guide: Green Smoothies Cookbook Giveaway

Karen · 12 Comments

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Green Smoothies For Every Season by Kristine Miles is a little paperback book packed with great smoothie recipes. It’s a one-of-a-kind book to help you lose weight, detox, maximize energy, and stay healthy with 52 deliciously creative smoothie recipes. That’s one new smoothie for every week in the coming year!

“Green Smoothies for Every Season” will guide you through each week of the year to make tasty smoothies using only the freshest fruits and vegetables. With a green smoothie a day, you’ll truly feel better than ever!

If you are looking for a healthier way to start off the new year, then this book is for you. Kristine Miles is a health expert who runs the website greensmoothiecommunity.com, a forum for green smoothie recipes. She has previously written The Green Smoothie Bible. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.

BUY IT: Green Smoothies for Every Season is available for sale on Amazon.com. Suggested retail price is $16.95

WIN IT: One reader will win a copy of Green Smoothies for Every Season. Use the Giveaway Tools form below to enter.

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Family Gift Guide: Shirts That Go

Karen · 26 Comments

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Shirts That Go sent two great t-shirts to my grandson, Owen, in Maryland. My daughter-in-law said that he loved the one with a monster truck on the front of it so much that he wants to wear it every day.

Here is a photo of Owen wearing his Monster Truck T-Shirt:

All of the T-Shirts from Shirts That Go can be ordered with short sleeves or long sleeves. The long sleeved ones are not kept in stock so they will take a little while longer to receive than the short sleeved shirts. The website says that the shirts run a bit small, so if in doubt, order the next larger size. They come in sizes 2-12, and have dozens of vehicles from which to choose. They would make a wonderful gift for any little boy or girl. They will love the box the shirts come in, too:

BUY IT: You can purchase the t-shirts at Shirts That Go online starting at $16.99

WIN IT: One reader will win the Shirts That Go T-Shirt of their choice plus shipping. To enter use the Giveaway Tools Form below.

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Family Gift Guide: Fairview School Historic Classic Southern Dishes Cookbook

Karen · 3 Comments

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The Fairview School Historic Cookbook is one of those cookbooks where members of the community or an organization all pitch in their best recipes. This one is from a Rome, Georgia collection of recipes submitted by family, friends and alumni of Fairview and E.S. Brown Schools. From their website:

The Fairview-E.S. Brown Heritage Corporation seeks to preserve the life-affirming African-American cultural experiences of the early 1900s; namely, the Fairview Colored School located in Cave Spring, GA. The campus was erected under the Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington philanthropic building campaign to provide an education for African-Americans. The only remaining structure, the first grade building, is now in imminent danger of collapsing. Tentative preservation plans include a re-created four-acre campus with museum, campsite, organic garden, and multi-purpose buildings to benefit the entire community.

There are so many yummy recipes in this book,and it is definitely the southern of style cooking at its best. Wokked Greens; Roasted, baked and Cajun fried turkey; Dressing with Sausage or Oysters; Sweet Potatoes of every persuasion; the Vidalia Onion Pie; Pot Likker and Cornbread; Shrimp and Grits; Ambrosia Punch; Nieman Marcus cookies; and the return of the Pinto Bean Pie.

You can order Classic Southern Dishes online at Fairview Brown for $25 and that includes shipping. Your purchase will benefit the Fairview and E.S. Brown Schools Corporation.