Wordless Wednesday

Glads from my sister's garden

Peanut Butter Cookies

I've been experimenting with peanut butter cookies recipes that have a criss-cross pattern on them.  The recipes I've tried yielded a dough that was too soft to make the criss-cross pattern until I came across the absolutely perfect recipe on line!

 This dough is stiff enough to make the classic criss-cross pattern.  The finished cookie tastes great: crispy around the edges and soft and chewy in the middle.  This will be my new go-to peanut butter cookie recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup room temperature butter
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 room temperature egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:
1.  Cream the butter then add the peanut butter.
2.  Add brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat until fluffy.
3.  Beat in egg and vanilla.
4.  Mix in the flour and baking soda until blended.
5.  Roll dough into balls and apply criss cross pattern using a fork.
6.  Bake at 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

Recipe Source:

http://www.andersonandgrant.com/2014/02/criss-cross-peanut-butter-cookies-and.html

Lancome Grandiose Mascara

I received the Lancome Grandiose mascara to review courtesy of Influenster.  The mascara tube is bell shaped at the bottom and a little larger than the usual mascara tube.  For me it will take up more space to store.  It does have a cute rose in the wand portion of the glass-like tube.

The wand of the mascara is unique in that is a "swan neck" wand.  It helps to reach all lashes from corner to corner and root to tip.  I did like this feature of the wand as it can be turned at different angles to easily reach all my lashes.

The brush is shorter than most mascara wands but it does not interfere with the ease of ability to apply the product.  I found the mascara really helped to lengthen my lashes.

                                                             Left eye with mascara, right eye without

                                                              Both eyes with mascara

Overall, I did like this mascara especially for its lengthening effect.  It was easy to apply but I did find it clumped somewhat.  I would call this a high-end brand mascara and I expected the formula to be clump-free.  This mascara retails for $35 CAD which I find steep for a mascara.  I feel there are other brands on the market that are much cheaper and do just as good of a job.  I would give this product 4 stars out of 5.


I received free product from Influenster to facilitate this review.

Macaroni & Cheese Hot Dog Casserole

This casserole has been a favourite of my family for many years. I'm not sure where the recipe came from but my mom has been making it since I was a child.  It is quick and easy to make as well as satisfying.

Ingredients:
1 box of Kraft Dinner
1 can of condensed tomato soup
1 small onion
1 package of wieners (12 count)
olive oil

Directions:
1. Dice the onion and cut the wieners into small disks.  Fry in       small amount of olive oil.
2.  In a sauce pan, cook the macaroni from Kraft Dinner package.
3.  Drain water from macaroni.
4.  Add can of tomato soup, cheese package from Kraft Dinner and wieners/onions to cooked macaroni.
5. Place mixture in a casserole dish.
6. Bake in a 375ºF oven for 20 minutes.

Dove Go Sleeveless Deodorant

I recently tried the Dove Go Sleeveless deodorant in the Beauty Finish scent.  The scent is light and almost floral like, very pleasant.  According to the dove.ca site this deodorant boosts it has NutriumMoisture technology which effectively nourishes your skin, going beyond 48-hour odour and wetness protection for softer, smoother armpits in just 3 days.

Unfortunately I found that this deodorant did not provide 48 hour wetness and odour control.  I went to an outdoor picnic when the weather was hot and at the end of the day I was not smelling too fresh! It did control wetness however, just not odour.

I did find that I had softer, smoother armpits after using this deodorant which lives up to its claims about this property of the product.

Being a deodorant specially targeted to allow you to feel more confident in wearing sleeveless tops, I found that the deodorant goes on clear even though it is a solid white stick.  That's a plus when wearing sleeveless tops.  I did however find that it leaves white marks on dark clothing which I was disappointed with.

Overall, I usually use Dove deodorants and was happy to test this product but will probably stick to my regular dove deodorants rather than purchasing the Go Sleeveless variety.


I received free product from ChickAdvisor to facilitate this review.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Coconut Frosting

Recently we've had an abundance of zucchini from the garden.  So what better to do with zucchini than bake with it!  I've made this recipe a number of times and it is enjoyed by the whole family.  It produces a 9"x13" cake that it moist and delicious.

The recipe can be found here:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-zucchini-cake-with-coconut-frosting

Arm & Hammer Truly Radiant Toothpaste

I always look for a whitening toothpaste and was happy to see that this toothpaste not only whitened teeth but also had an enamel strengthening property.  The front of the package reveals that the toothpaste has a combination of baking soda, peroxide and liquid calcium.  The back of the package states that this toothpaste "helps remove surface stains for whiter teeth.  Helps remineralize tooth enamel restoring its shine and smoothness.  It aids in the prevention of dental decay".

This toothpaste had a pleasant minty flavour and really left my mouth feeling fresh and clean.  I would say my mouth felt fresher compared to other toothpastes I have used.  I was very impressed with this feature of the product!

The product claims to yield a radiant smile in just 5 days.  I didn't really notice a more radiant smile or any improved whitening of my teeth over other products.  Despite this I would still continue to use this toothpaste and purchase it in the future. I just loved how fresh my mouth felt after using this toothpaste.  Overall, I would recommend this product to others.

I received free product from ChickAdvisor to facilitate this review.

Montagne Jeunesse Dead Sea Mud Spa Mask

I tried the Montagne Jeunesse Dead Sea Mud Spa mask.  It contains real mud, dead sea and sea kelp.  The mask is a fabric mask which fits onto your face with holes for your eyes, nose and mouth.

The mud is infused into the fabric which makes it less messy to apply then a mud mask from a tube and using your fingers.  The steps for using this mask include cleansing your face, applying the mask, waiting 10-15 minutes and then removing the mask and rinsing your face.  I did find that the mask did not harden like a typical mud mask.  I missed the feeling of having the mask dry on my face and tightening my pores.

After rinsing the mask off my face I noticed that my face felt soft, smooth and somewhat tight.  I have oily skin so I didn't mind the tight feeling.  Maybe the mask was tightening my pores after all!

Overall I enjoyed this mask and would use it again.