Maple Pumpkin Custard from Spoonful.com

I like to think I'm adventurous in the kitchen as far as what I will try to cook, but custard is one of those dishes I've always shied away from. I'm not sure why, but it always seemed a little fiddly and complicated. This week I noticed a recipe from Spoonful.com that seemed yummy, Maple Pumpkin Custard. (If you haven't checked out Spoonful.com, you should. They feature family friendly activities, including cooking and crafting.)

photo by Amy Hodges

By some minor miracle, I had all of the ingredients at hand. I'm not sure at all why I had both Heavy Cream and Light Cream? The custard was easy to prepare and the recipe was easy to follow. In a short time I had some lovely custards. Some of us weren't patient and tasted them as soon as they cooled to room temperature. My husband held out and waited until they had cooled in the refrigerator. They were super yummy. I love pumpkin, and who doesn't love maple? It's one of the first recipes I've tried from Spoonful and it won't be the last! 

photo by Amy Hodges

I was not compensated in any way for this post! (except with yummy custards and a renewed confidence in the kitchen.)

Wreck It Ralph ~ Contest and Clip

Great news from the world of Wreck It Ralph! Disney is having a contest on Facebook and the Grand Prize is a trip from Adventures by Disney! Once you choose your avatar you can complete missions for more entries. 

And as a little treat, here is the latest clip from Wreck It Ralph featuring one of my favorites, Jane Lynch. Wreck It Ralph opens nationwide November 2nd.

Get Unreal ~ Candy Tasting Party

photo by Amy Hodges

Want to know how to get your friends and family to stop by? Tell them you're having a candy tasting. That's right, Candy Tasting. Last weekend I was thrilled to host a candy tasting for Unreal Candy. If you haven't heard about Unreal, get ready to. They actually have a mission with their candy. "We believe that all junk food can be made differently, with better ingredients, without the junk, with great taste, and at the same price." I don't know about you, but when I hear that something is "all-natural," or "healthier" I become wary. The six year old inside of me thinks there is no way it can taste anything close to the alternative. Unreal candy is, well, unreal. All of the candies are tasty and healthier than the leading brand. 

It was fun to hear what my friends had to say about Unreal. Some of us are of a certain age, and the fiber and protein benefits from Unreal are almost too good to be true. We still want to treat ourselves and our families occasionally. It's incredible to have a "healthier" candy. One of my friends works with law enforcement trainees. She was taking some candy back for them to try because they have to count every calorie while they are training. Candy with protein? BONUS!! 

If you want to learn more about Unreal, including where you can purchase it, please check out their website Get Unreal, their Facebook page, or their YouTube channel. 

photo by Amy Hodges

I was sent candy samples from Unreal for the tasting and compensated by Global Influence for this post. All opinions remain firmly mine. 

Amazing Race Recap 1014 Blame The Edit

My recap from the October 14th episode of The Amazing Race. Find my "Blame the Edit" recaps here and on MomTV!

Corgi Cuteness ~ Who needs thumbs?

Sandy gets desperate and entertains herself! She does this every day, usually after the kids go to school.

Wreck It Ralph ~ New Clip

I am so excited about Wreck It Ralph, the latest offering from Walt Disney Animation Studios. The movie opens November 2nd, see you there!

Listerine Smart Rinse Challenge

photo by Amy Hodges

I'm about to give you some startling information so prepare yourself. (not kidding!) "Oral disease has become the number one chronic childhood illness in the U. S. " Number one. Oral disease. Just like most of you, I grew up brushing my teeth and going to the dentist. It was what everyone I knew did. My mother harped on our dental health and it wasn't until I was older that I knew why. When my mom was a child, her family was poor. Her parents never took her to the dentist. (My mom has a beautiful smile.) She was determined that we would not worry about our teeth like she always had.
Flash forward a few more years to when my children were in elementary school. The school had asked for a volunteer to accompany a dental hygienist as she examined children in the lower grades (kindergarden through second grade.) I was sadly shocked at the number of children who had never been to a dentist and how many of them were suffering from oral disease. Some of the children had cavities that even I could see. It is so important to have a good dental care routine.
At the heart of most dental care routines is brushing. We can't ever forget the importance of brushing your teeth, but "brushing alone misses 75% of your mouth!" I'm thrilled to be taking part in the #SweetSmart challenge sponsored by Listerine Smart Rinse. It's a perfect time of year to focus on our dental routine. We've gotten back into the swing of things with school and homework and I have been on a fall cleaning rampage. For the next month we are going to try to refine our habits and see if we can make our dental routine even healthier. Since it's October and Halloween is looming, I can't think of a better time to make sure we are taking care of our teeth well!
We are looking at our whole routine, but especially incorporating Listerine Smart Rinse mouthrinse. A little more information about Smart Rinse: "Brushing, Flossing and rinsing with a mouthrinse like Listerine Smart Rinse is an essential combination for maintaining a healthy mouth and protecting your child's teeth against cavities. It is especially designed for kids, provides 12-hour cavity protection, and strengthens teeth 99 percent better than brushing alone."
I'll be posting more about the challenge to let you know how it's going!

Disclosure: I received products from Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. and The Motherhood as part of my participation in the LISTERINE SMART RINSE Sweet Smart Challenge. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own. 

Retirement from Vlogtober

It was inevitable. I have decided to retire from daily vlogging in the Vlogtober challenge. (You're welcome!) Desiree from Mommy Reporter is hosting Vlogtober. Check out the video for my retirement announcement!

Blame the Edit Survivor Recap

Over at the beautiful new Mom TV, I've started a new webisode series, Blame the Edit. I'll be posting recaps of some of my favorite reality television shows. Tonight I'm talking about Survivor. Fortunately, this will also serve as my Vlogtober post of the day. (3 days y'all, I'm on a roll!!)

Vlogtober Day Two

The second day of participating in Vlogtober and I almost forgot to upload a video.  Forgive the lack of make-up and the fact that I got back out of bed to record this! Be sure to visit Mommy Reporter to find the other Vlogtober videos.

Vlogtober Day One

For the month of October, I'm joining Desiree from Mommy Reporter for Vlogtober.  The premise is simple, post a vlog every day for the whole month. I hope you'll follow along, or you can join in by linking up on Desiree's site! I'm also posting at the new Mom TV. They just relaunched and the new site is beautiful. Check it out. There are lots of videos to choose from, or you can add your own! Be sure to check back tomorrow for another vlog!