'Twas the Night Before Christmas *contest closed*

This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Pop-Tarts®.

The Night Before Christmas from Lara Neves on Vimeo.

What do you  leave for Santa on Christmas Eve?  Share it here for a chance to win a $100.00 Gift Card from BlogHer!

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Rules:

• No duplicate comments
• You may receive an additional entry by tweeting about this contest and leaving the link in the comments
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• This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older
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• If you win, you will have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected\
• Visit the Official site for more information.

Tastes Like Christmas *contest closed*

This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Pop-Tarts®.

I don't cook.  My husband does all of that in our household.  I hate it, and am forever grateful to have found a man who loves it (and me!).

However, I do bake.  Not very well, mind you.  But I love to make pie and cake and cookies.  Especially around Christmas time.  It makes me very happy.

So when Pop-Tarts sent some of their new Gingerbread Pop-Tarts for the kids and me to bake with, we jumped at the chance to try out a new recipe.  Naturally, we chose something ginger-bready...

Gingerbread Sheet Cake

1/2 C Butter

1/3 C Sugar

1 C Molasses

3/4 C Water

1 Egg

2 1/3 C Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp Ground Ginger

2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add the molasses, water and egg. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt; add to creamed mixture and beat until combined. Pour into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 

We then drizzled icing over the top in fun shapes and crumbled up a couple of the gingerbread Pop-Tarts on top. Yummy!

 Although, I must say, I was a little sad that I couldn't think of anything that would highlight how cute these particular Pop-Tarts are:

And it's no surprise that the kids loved the cake.  They each had about three slices before I made them stop! And the Pop-Tarts.  They taste like Christmas, and who doesn't love that?

 (Bria loved it too, but was feeling a little self-conscious about eating cake for the internet today.)

What tastes like Christmas to you?  Share it here for a chance to win a $100.00 Gift Card from BlogHer!

Sweepstakes open from 12/13-12/25.  To enter, leave a comment.  (Please include your email within the comment.)

For a second entry, you can:

·         Tweet about this post with a link to it (and put your tweet URL in a separate comment below)

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For NINE more chances to win a $100.00 gift card, make sure to visit the BlogHer review/giveaway round up page.

Rules:

• No duplicate comments
• You may receive an additional entry by tweeting about this contest and leaving the link in the comments
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments
• This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older
• Winners will be selected at random, and will be notified by e-mail (please leave your email in your comment)
• If you win, you will have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected\
• Visit the Official site for more information.

A Very Special Interview *Contest Closed*

This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Pop-Tarts®


I had a chance to interview Chloe the Pilgrim Girl--one of the menu-planners for the very first Thanksgiving!


BlogHer and PopTarts Thanksgiving video from Lara Neves on Vimeo.


And, since you're dying to know, the recipe to our favorite Green Jell-O Salad with marshmallows can be found here.  It really has been passed down from generation to generation and no Thanksgiving is complete without it.  Or Easter.  Or Christmas.  


What is your favorite family tradition at Thanksgiving?  Share it here for a chance to win a $100.00 Visa Gift Card from BlogHer!


(Comments from the previous post will be combined with the comments from this post, comment again to be sure you have a second chance!) 

To enter, leave a comment.  (Please include your email within the comment.)

For a second entry, you can:

·         Tweet about this post with a link to it (and put your tweet URL in a separate comment below)

·         Blog about this post with a link to it (and put your blog post URL in a separate comment below)

·         Read the official rules for alternate form of entry.

For NINE more chances to win a $100.00 gift card, make sure to visit the BlogHer review/giveaway round up page.


Rules:

• No duplicate comments
• You may receive an additional entry by tweeting about this contest and leaving the link in the comments
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments
• This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older
• Winners will be selected at random, and will be notified by e-mail (please leave your email in your comment)
• If you win, you will have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected
• Please see Official Rules here.

For more information, visit the Official Pop-Tarts website.

Pumpkin Pie: Ain't Nothin' Better*Contest Closed*

This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Pop-Tarts®

I freely admit, the first thing I am grateful for at Thanksgiving is the pumpkin pie I know I will be having for dessert. And for breakfast the next day.  In fact, I might have to say that pumpkin pie for breakfast at 3:30 in the morning or whatever ungodly hour I decide to go shopping on Black Friday is my favorite moment of the entire year.  Anyway, it's pretty clear that I love pumpkin pie.

You can imagine my excitement when I found out that Pop-Tarts has a limited edition Thanksgiving flavor this year: Pumpkin Pie.  My kids and I were given the assignment to use the Pop-Tarts to make something yummy, and not surprisingly, we chose to make an actual pumpkin pie using the Pop-Tarts as the crust.

First, we ripped up 6 Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tarts and put them in a bowl.

We then melted a stick of butter and mixed it all together.

Second, we smooshed the crust down into the dish.

Then we made our favorite pumpkin pie recipe, poured it over our fancy crust and baked as normal.

Finally, we ate it, which is the best part!

What do YOU most look forward to eating on Thanksgiving Day?  Share it here for a chance to win a $100.00 Visa Gift Card from BlogHer!


(For another chance to win the gift card please comment on this post.)

To enter, leave a comment.  (Please include your email within the comment.)

For a second entry, you can:

·         Tweet about this post with a link to it (and put your tweet URL in a separate comment below)

·         Blog about this post with a link to it (and put your blog post URL in a separate comment below)

·         Read the official rules for alternate form of entry.

For NINE more chances to win a $100.00 gift card, make sure to visit the BlogHer review/giveaway round up page.


Rules:

• No duplicate comments
• You may receive an additional entry by tweeting about this contest and leaving the link in the comments
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments
• This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older
• Winners will be selected at random, and will be notified by e-mail (please leave your email in your comment)
• If you win, you will have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected
• Please see Official Rules here.

For more information, visit the Official Pop-Tarts website.