As the fair comes to a close this weekend, I begin more recipe testing for next year...

With that I have started to look at some of the mixes at The Cooks Companion & More here in Tahlequah, over on Muskogee Ave.

For my first experiment for a possibility for an entry  for next year I used the Wind & Willow Caramel Apple- Cheeseball & Dessert Mix that I purchased from The Cooks Companion & More.(See pics below):

These are the mixes I used to create this test recipe.

Use the real stuff, but if you are watching intake, you can use the other.

Before it becomes batter, it is like this.

Here is the batter, after well combining.

Into the loaf pan it goes before the oven .

This is the final result of the recipe, before I took it to the gals at The Cooks Companion & More.

Here is the recipe for this test:

Caramel Apple Pound Cake:

Ingredients:

One Caramel Apple Cheeseball &Dessert Mix
(from The Cooks Companion & More, on Muskogee Ave, Tahlequah,OK)

One Best Choice Box Pound Cake Mix

Two whole eggs

2/3 block of cream cheese

3/4 cup 2% lactose free milk

Equipment:

Mixing bowl

9x5x3 loaf pan

non-stick cooking spray

Spatula

Skewer

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Combine in a mixing bowl, the mixes, eggs,milk,and cream cheese.  Once all well combined, pour into liberally sprayed loaf pan.

Insert into the preheated oven, and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes until golden brown.  Once time is done, take out of oven , and poke with skewer, and if the skewer comes out clean, leave in pan to cool.

While cake is cooling quickly do the following:

Take one stick of butter and two tablespoons of sugar and apple pie spice in a microwave safe bowl or microwave safe coffee mug for about 45 seconds, and stir to combine.

While the cake is still warm, poke with skewer on top all over, and drizzle the above over the top, to let it soak into the cake and finish cooling. This will add some moisture. Serve with your favorite fall ice cream, or favorite warm fall beverage.

Enjoy!

Next Week: What can I do with the Pumpkin Pie Cheeseball & Dessert Mix from Cooks Companion?

Stay tuned!

I Need Your Help to Make My Goal!

 I have a campaign on teespring.com right now that is geared towards the Baking Diva minded women in our lives.

It is my hope that I will reach the goal of 1000 product reservations, because that is what has to be hit, before it will be produced by teespring. I would love to exceed that goal, but for that to happen, I need your help in spreading the word.

I have until September 22nd, 2013 to make this happen. The hoodies are set to sell for $29 each. I think they are a fun way to express your Baking Divatude. I welcome boutiques, individuals, etc....

The reason I am doing this is to earn the money for a storm shelter to be put on my property, since my husband, dogs and I live in a double wide in the country. Truthfully, we are tired of doing Chinese fire drills  to escape during tornado season in our blazer. My other reasons for doing this are to create a dental fund to help cover what our dental insurance will not, also to begin to put together an emergency household fund, plus a doggie emergency fund for our furbabies(we have four boys-(dogs) to take care of).

I would also like to be able to give back to some non profits in my area, that I know need the help right now. So the more reservations I get = the more I can do and take care of.

If you can stop by and participate that would be great and put me closer to my goal. I also appreciate the help in spreading the word also.

You can find the campaign at:

www.teespring.com/bakingdiva

Thank You for your time
Nannette

LoyaltePays: Decor Idea Edition

This is a DIY Denim Pillow that my mom made for me to sell. It is made out of actual jeans, and is cute as can be. It is also $20.00 plus tax and S&H

If you are a decorating guru, then you will enjoy these loyaltepays finds.

The Finds include the following links:

Norway Style Bathroom

Teenager Room

Kids Bunk Beds

Transforming Micro-Apartment

3 beds in 1

Discover the Meaning of Colour through Interior Design

Handmade Rag Rug

Hoola Hoop Rug

Recycle Wine Crates into Beautiful Wall Storage

DIY Drawer Organizer

It is my hope that each of these links will inspire or help you in your decor journey. Have fun with them and enjoy them.

LoyaltePays Finds: Food Edition

This is actually a recipe I came up with a few years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 If you love to cook, or a die hard foodie, then these food finds from loyaltepays.com will satisfy your cravings.

5 Healthier Pasta Salads

Shrimp and Vegetable Pad Thai Recipe

Buttermilk Blueberry Cake Recipe

Muffin Tin Quiche Recipe

Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

Pulled Pork Enchiladas Recipe

Best Cobbler Dessert Recipe

Spicy Honey Chicken Recipe

Vodka Slushies Recipe

Garlic Cheese Bread Recipe

Tequila Strawberry Lemonade Recipe

Sausage Biscuit Bites Recipe

Bell Peppers for Veggie Dip

Snickers Popcorn Recipe

Southern Sweet Tea Recipe

Apple Pie Cookie Recipe

No Bake Nutella Cheesecake Recipe

Brownies: No sugar, no flour,no gluten,no guilt

5 Minute-No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

Cookie Cutter Fruit Salad

Watercress Boost Immunity and Brain Function

I hope you will enjoy these finds, and hopefully you will have some that become family favorites down the road.

LoyaltePays: I Love Monkey by Susan Kaufman

 Below is a great find for kids from  LoyaltePays.com:

I Love Monkey by Suzanne Kaufman@Loyaltepays

It really is a sweet preview, that the family can enjoy. The preview talks about how being yourself is the best thing you can be.

 If you have not checked out loyaltepays, here is the referral link to check out:

  http://www.loyaltepays.com/BakingDiva/

I hope you will enjoy this great family find and take the time to learn more about it, when you hit the link to check it out. 

Gambinos Pizza Review for July 7th, 2013 Visit!

Let me preface this, I will not be going back anytime soon... nor will my family or friends.....

The Gambinos Pizza in Gore,OK has decently digestible food, but the customer service skills of the staff is sorely lacking on all fronts, and the restaurant could qualify for Restaurant Impossible's make over, when it comes to the decor inside.

On this past July 7th, I went to visit my inlaws with my husband,because they were having computer issues. As dinner time drew closer, different places were being batted around for dinner options. It was mentioned Gambinos might be an option. Since 2 of the 4 of us had not been to Gambinos, it was decided to try it. We all figured what we wanted, the order was called in, and we waited a bit before heading to pick it up.

After a bit of a wait, we then headed out to the restaurant to go pick up our order to take home for consumption for dinner.

But upon our arrival to pick up the order, we were not greeted by any staff at the counter initially. When someone finally did greet us, it was only because the cook saw us enter and approach the counter through the small service, pass through window.

Once the cook recognized we were there, a young lady came out, she was told we were there to pick up our order. She went back to the kitchen to get the ticket and had to use a menu to ring up the order of a deluxe spaghetti, 2 lasagna's, and a Spicy Pepperoni Sandwich.

The young lady gave off the distinct attitude and aura of not wanting to be there. She had no smile what so ever, or polite greeting for us.

When the order was done, she came out and sat the order stacked up on the counter, and took another order over the phone, before returning to the kitchen, without checking on waiting guests in the lobby of the restaurant.

We picked up the order off the counter and, left the establishment to head home. Upon getting the food home and figuring out the unmarked containers to see who's was who's, the majority agreed it was better than expected, the lasagna had to much sauce and needed more body, and the sandwich could blow your ears clean off your skull.

The fact that we were not greeted, and when were the young lady had no smile or greeting, makes my party not want to go back for a repeat visit. If the staff would remember the customer is number one, they could do better, and soar beyond the moon.

So, if you are looking for that "just digestible meal with a staff with no customer service skills" then Gambinos is the stop for you.

But if you are looking for a totally different experience try one of the other few restaurants in Gore.(I hear the tea room is excellent.)

Great Female Entrepreneurs can be found on Facebook....

You can see his face, but this is another picture of my husband and one of our youngest dogs Lucky, they make may day great, when it seems to go down hill. I love them both and our other dogs; Oreo, Cupid, and Jackson Andrew. 

As the title of the post says, " Great Female Entrepreneurs can be found on Facebook". You probably have seen companies like; Scentsy, Grace Adele, Tastefully Simple, Taste of Gourmet, Virtual Celebration, Shaklee, Kitsylane being advertised for by their independent contractors, reps, etc...

Well I have discovered most but, not all of them are run by some great women.Instead they are represented by great women in the DS, Home-Based Business fields. Some of these great women, I call friends on facebook, and others I hope to become friends with.

They include independent representatives:

Michele Bodenheimer- Mikishope & Lilla Rose
Diana B. Alexander- Longaberger
Donna Roucoulet- The Gourmet Cupboard
Robyn Grimes- The Pampered Chef
Barbara Christensen-Doterra
Alice Coaxum- Beachbody
Holly Petrie- Natural Living
Bonnie Hessler- Usborne Books
Laura Bailey- Lia Sophia
Darla Bross- Tastefully Simple
Kathy Miranda- Jordan Essentials
Carolyn Brown- Partylite
Sheri Carpenter- Direct Sales Database ( this is a great business to join to help yourself get found.)
Carol Dover- Liberty Lady Designs
Christine Ferraro-Body by Vi
Gingermichele Kapp- Avon
Denise Vance- MK Jewels
Danielle Mohr- CardsandMohr
Cassie DeForest- Scentsy Family
Laura Miller-Dove Chocolate Discoveries
Jen Glass-Shaklee
Helen Sims- Tupperware
Courtney Kountz- Pink Zebra

Beth Taylor- OK Skinny Wraps
Kristy Cooper- Celebrating Home
Cyndee DeLong- Gold Canyon Candles
Melanie Jenner- Better Women's Network
Julie Marchione-Pretty in Posh
Martha L Walters- Love Your Life Team
Christine McMillian Byrnes- Forever Pure Beauty
Pam Thomas- Hip Chic Vinyl
Samantha Anderson- Plexus Slim
Janna Camplejohn- Origami Owl
Ann Quinn- HatsbyAnne1942
Diane Holdsambeck-My Lady Dye
Ashley Mallory- ACE
Sue Harrington- Scented Comfort Gourmet Candles
Sharon Luke-Ambit Energy
Nakoma Pishko- Demarle
Jamie T Jefferson- Lynn's Country Corner
Diane Beaudoin-Grace Adele
Tracy Hayes- Mary Kay
Jenn Skow- Arbonne
Jan Dismukes-Rodan&Fields
Lorrie Binger-Paparazzi

Plus I am a Representative for Taste of Gourmet, a virtual event planner for VirtualCelebration.com, independent contractor/boutique owner for Nannerbugs at Kitsylane. I also write for Examiner.com as the Tahlequah/Tulsa Event Photography Examiners and Tulsa Food Examiner.

In addition to all of that I am helping to spread the word about a new mobile communications app rolling out soon, and I have 3 invites to give out to that, to interested parties, tech geeks/gurus. ( If you are interested you can drop me a line at youngavonmom@yahoo.com, with your email address & first/last name, I will send you one of the 3 remaining invites I have. )

If you have the chance to look these ladies up on facebook, take time to say hi, learn about the companies they represent, and if you are interested in becoming apart of any of their business families, they can help you, and welcome you with open arms.