What is Your Favorite Hot Cocoa Bomb Flavor? If you have been following us for very long, you know that the product that we came up with, the Hot Cocoa Bomb, is what motivated us to start this blog. We have some new developments happening with Hot Cocoa Bombs coming next week! We are so excited! So in order to kick off this exciting stuff, I decided that this weeks question for Friday Faves should be about our beloved Bombs themselves. We have come up with a lot of flavor variations for the Bombs and we even made Sugar Free Bombs this year! Everyone has their favorites. Madalynn was the first to answer me when I asked the question because she wanted to make sure no one else took her favorite. It is Salted Caramel. She loves the caramel flavor in many things and that holds true for her Hot Cocoa Bomb. Salted Caramel has really been a trend the last couple of years, so we came up with a Hot Cocoa Bomb version in 2015. It was a big hit. Alicia answered next. I guessed her choice because she came up with the idea to create this flavor, Cinnamon Hot Cocoa Bombs. At first I thought they would be too close to Pumpkin Pie Spice, but they really are different and delicious! And, I loved the way we decorated them for Christmas. Speaking of Pumpkin Pie Spice, you can all guess whose favorite flavor those are! That's right, Lindsey! She says that she loves them made with dark chocolate and that the pumpkin pie spices always make her feel like fall and comforting pumpkin pie. There is nothing more satisfying when you are cold. (Except for the chili and corn bread that she mentioned two weeks ago, Ha Ha!). I love all of the flavors of our Bombs, but I do remember the first time I tasted a cherry cordial how amazed I was at how well it came out and tasted like an actual chocolate covered cherry candy. So, I am picking Cherry Cordial, one of our most popular flavors. This week we have a special guest sharing her favorite flavor of the Cocoa Bomb. It is Anita of the great Facebook Page, Craftastico! She is the wonderful hostess of the Ugly Sweater Express that we take part in each year. She is my DIL's mom and a very talented lady. You should check out her page, she has so many great ideas on there, I am always amazed. Anita's favorite flavor of Hot Cocoa Bomb is Peppermint. It is one of our original flavors, a traditional idea for hot chocolate, and extremely delicious! Anita adds that it is a perfect flavor for Christmas and also is good for clearing your head when you have a cold! Ha Ha! Some people just love the plain, original chocolate while others really enjoy the peanut butter that we added this year. Remember that we have a tutorial for making Hot Cocoa Bombs here. You can order the mold here. There is even a holiday version here. If you go to our Etsy shop, you can download and print our Hot Cocoa Bomb Idea Book that will help you be successful making Bombs and it gives you lots of ideas for flavors and decorating. Come back and see the exciting things going on around here with our Bombs, and try making them for yourselves! If you have already tried them, tell us your favorite flavors!
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Welcome to Edition 3 of Five Friday Faves!
Today's question? What is your favorite love song?
Here is one of my favorite love stories. One year, after Valentine's Day was over, I had fallen in love with a certain song. We hadn't done anything special for Valentine's Day that year, when you have lots of kids, sometimes those days go by unnoticed or with just a little kiss and I love you and that is about all you have time for. But, the song I had fallen in love with was Clint Black's "Something that We Do". I am usually a rock 'n roll girl, but there are some country songs that really speak to me, and this was one of them. I couldn't get enough of it. The message was so perfect for my Hallmark movie heart. I mean those lyrics set to that beautiful music is timeless. "I remember well the day we wed, I see that picture in my head. I still believe those words we said, Forever will ring true." "Love isn't someplace that we fall, it's something that we do."
Well, a couple of days after the holiday, my husband was late getting home and I was beginning to wonder what had happened to him. When he walked in the door, he had gifts for me, chocolate and that Clint Black CD! It was the sweetest, most unexpected thing! I still love that song and I cherish that memory. That gift told me that he was thinking about me even when we were apart. He did something to show me and it fit the message of the song.
This weeks guest choice has Fave #2 and she is my other DIL, Korina! Since her choice is also a country pick, I thought she should be next on the list. Korina has a beautiful singing voice and I have heard her sing a lot of love songs. But, when I asked for her favorite, she went right to Garth Brooks! You have got to admit, he has a beautiful voice for a love song. Korina's favorite is "To Make You Feel My Love". I had to laugh because this song is written by Bob Dylan, who is one of my least favorite singers, although he has written some really good lyrics. "There's nothing that I wouldn't do, go to the ends of the earth for you, make you happy, make your dreams come true, to make you feel my........ love"
Fave #3 this week comes from Madalynn. We totally switch gears when it comes to genre. Her pick comes from the Disney Movie "Tangled". I have to admit that it is one of my faves, too. Mandy Moore does a beautiful job singing, "At Last I See the Light".
"And at last I see the light And it's like the fog has lifted And at last I see the light And it's like the sky is new And it's warm and real and bright And the world has somehow shifted All at once everything looks different Now that I see you." That song reminds you of those feelings of first falling in love!
Fave #4 is Alicia's choice, and it goes to show that certain singers and certain songs are timeless! Alicia chose an Elvis song! "Can't Help Falling In Love" is certainly a song that would make your Valentine swoon if you sang it, played it or danced to it this Valentine's Day. "Take my hand, Take my whole life, too. For I can't help falling in love with you." Yup, we raised her right, you have just got to love Elvis and his dreamy voice.
I saved Lindsey for last because she just got married this past year and her love story is fresh and new. She waited a long time for her Mr. Right (or PH as she calls him) and her song pick is perfect for her story. She chose another Oldie but goodie. Nat King Cole's "When I Fall in Love". She had this song sung at her wedding, beautifully done by my SIL Adrian. (My children and their spouses are all very talented!) She and Austin danced their first dance to it. It was beautiful! "When I give my heart, it will be completely, or I'll never give my heart." Those words describe Lindsey's feelings perfectly.
Those are our Friday Faves for this week! Add a little romance to your life with music! How do you like our picks and what would yours be? Let us know! If you want a chance to be a guest picker on Friday Faves, let us know that as well. I am having so much fun surprising everyone with my questions. You never know what I will ask next week!
I hope you all got your shopping lists ready to make Renny's Healthy Zucchini Lasagna, if you haven't, click the link and get ready because it is time for this week's... 5 Friday Faves! This is our weekly event when I ask, "What's your favorite_______?" and then we give you our answers! We have a lot of fun with it and hope you will, too as you consider what your answer would be. When you think of your answer, please share it with us in the comments! We would love to hear it. So, here is this week's question: "What is your favorite comfort food on a cold, rainy or snowy day?" The weather all over the country has been pretty unpredictable and even in Phoenix we have had some chilly days. All of the answers given this week really work for me! Alicia got to cheat last week, so this week we will start with her favorite. Alicia actually lives where it is pretty cool and rainy year round. When I asked her the question, she immediately gave this answer: Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. Alicia's grilled cheese has come a long way since I was a kid! We used to butter bread and stick it in a pan to toast it as the cheese melted on the inside. Alicia uses her panini maker to get those nice toasty grill lines on her bread. (I gave my kids panini makers for Christmas last year, but failed to get one for myself. I may need to rectify that situation.) And that isn't any old slice of cheese either. You could use Provolone, Havarti or Gruyere, like Alicia used here. Just looking at this picture makes me want to take that sandwich and dip it in the soup and bite it. The cheese would stretch out of it and it would be so warm and delicious! Yum! Good choice Alicia! The second Fave comes from Lindsey. On a cold day, she likes to snuggle up and enjoy a big bowl of Chili and a slice of Cornbread! You know Lindsey tries to be the super healthy eater, so her chili is usually made with turkey. She makes it in a crock pot. One of her specialties is Pumpkin Chili, which I am sure we can get her to give us the recipe for one of these days on Renny's Recipes. Also for the amazing Cornbread that she invented herself! This makes me feel warm just thinking about eating it! Madalynn is eating pretty healthy lately as well. She is limiting her meat intake and going for a lot of vegan options.. Remember these amazing chocolate cookies? She still has a sweet tooth, but is finding healthier ways to satisfy it. When I asked her for her favorite cold weather comfort food, she said, "Cinnamon Rolls!". Then she proceeded to make these vegan, yeast free ones! She has even given you the recipe! Now for my choice! When I was a little girl, we lived out in the country. We had a long driveway to walk down when the weather was cold after we got off of the school bus. Many times, my mom would have warm butterscotch pudding waiting for us to have as a snack when we got in from the cold. The pudding was still a little warm but soft set. It was delicious and it also warmed my heart, so whenever I think of comfort food, I think of Butterscotch Pudding. Now, if you make Butterscotch Pudding from a box, that is okay, but make sure it is the cook and serve kind, not instant! Yuck! The cooked kind is so much better. This time, I used my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook recipe for Butterscotch Pudding from scratch. That link goes to the edition I have. Here is a newer edition. This cookbook has been a go to for me throughout my married life. We received it as a wedding gift. When you make pudding from scratch, you use the egg yolks and not the whites. So, I made a little meringue with the egg whites, and browned them with my creme brulee torch. Then, I drizzled a little caramel sauce over the top. They were delicious, if I say so myself. The bonus was that I got to use the torch, it is so much fun to use. This set comes with little ramekins for your creme brulee! That was 4! Are you ready for #5? This week our special guest is Jessica Reynolds, my DIL and genealogy buff extraordinaire! She has a blog called "Do As I'm Doing" where she teaches some fabulous things about finding your ancestors and making a book like this one that she gave to my husband for Christmas. She spells out so clearly how to do it and includes things in the book that you may have never thought of including or even how to do it. So, I asked Jessica what her favorite cold weather comfort food is and she said that when it rains her mom would always say it was time to make cookies! So, that is when she bakes cookies! Chocolate Chip Cookies and she uses the recipe on the back of the bag. So, that is our Five Friday Faves! I hope we have warmed you up a little just reading our selections and maybe you can find some comfort from all of the cold weather out there! Let us know if you have a fave that we should know about!
Come back tomorrow and read about Alicia's Non Valentine's Day Party and Date ideas! She always has fun plans to share. You won't want to miss them! Happy Friday and welcome to our new Friday feature, 5 FRIDAY FAVES! Every Friday my girls and I will answer the question, "What's your favorite______?" And we will give you our answers and tell you why they are our favorites. If you have been following us for long, you know that there are only 4 of us, so that means that each week either one of us will cheat and give 2 answers, or we will interview a special guest to give us their take. And, guess what! I get to come up with the questions! I have been coming up with some good ones, so I am really excited! Don't worry, we will put links to the things we list so that you can get hold of them if you want to see if our favorites become your favorites as well. This week's question is starting off simply. It is, "What is your favorite kitchen gadget?" We will begin with my answer first: I chose a new item that I just treated myself to right before Christmas. It is a Citrus Zester. For years, I have zested lemons with the skinny side of the cheese grater. I would be lucky to get a tsp of zest for my recipes. It was even worse when the skin of the lemon or orange was some what smooth. But, no more! Look at all of that zest from just one orange! The zester I am using is from Everyday Living. There is a similar one here. There are many different varieties though, like this one that fits in your palm, or this one by OXO, or this type that both peels and zests. I haven't gotten to use mine a lot yet, but so far I love it. Next up is Madalynn. Madalynn chose something we have talked about before on this post and it goes hand- in-hand with my choice: The Lemon or Lime Squeezer! Madalynn loves it because it makes getting the juice from a lemon or lime so easy, it keeps the seeds out, and your hands don't get sticky! You can find one like we use here for only $7! I love the pretty yellow color, but if I had seen this one in red, I may have gotten it! (It would match my Kitchen Aid). This one has a stainless steel, anti-corrosive finish. Lindsey weighs in with a fun little gadget: This is a spiralizer! You can find one like it here.. Lindsey loves it because she can use it to make zucchini noodles, or zoodles, really easily just by pressing and turning. Since she and her husband are the only ones they are presently cooking for, this small one really does the trick. It can also be used for different types of squash or even carrots. If your family is larger than just 2, there are larger ones, or even an attachment for your Kitchen Aid! (hmmm...) Last, but not least, Alicia gets to be the cheater and share 2 gadgets this week. She couldn't decide between them, so we let her be the first one to share 2 things. First, is her hand held egg beater that her dad and I gave her for Christmas last year in a preparedness package. We gave our kids these to have in case of emergency, you know, in case of a power outage or the Zombie Apocalypse. (just kidding). I was surprised and happy to hear that it has become one of her favorite go to gadgets! She says she tends to pull it out instead of her hand mixer, (the electric one) because it is easier and when her little son cooks with her, he likes to turn it. She even uses it to mix together her dry ingredients. This one by OXO is ergonomically engineered to be held with one hand more easily. But, if you are really into vintage style, this one will fit the bill. This one also looks easy to hold and is billed as super fast. The funny thing is I gave these to our kids, but failed to get one for myself. I think it is a really good idea to have things that work without electricity in your arsenal of gadgets. Finally, item #5 is Alicia's can opener. It doesn't have a brand on it. It just says, "Made in the USA". In a world of electric can openers, this may seem a simple thing. Once again, it is wise to have something that opens cans that is not electric. Alicia says that this can opener has lasted longer than any other one she has had and that it opens cans like they are made of butter. The handle is easy to turn without killing your hand and forearm. 87% of the people who reviewed it give it 5 stars. Another option to check out is this one by OXO. OXO makes a smooth edge can opener. I haven't used it, but I wonder if it is as good. It has mostly good reviews. Well, there you have it, our first list of Friday Faves! Have you used any of these gadgets and loved them? Do you have a favorite kitchen gadget that you love? Please tell us about them in the comments. Also, if you would like a chance to be featured as the #5 spot on Friday Faves, let us know that as well!
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Creators of Hot Cocoa Bombs! (copyrighted)
Author
Helen Reynolds: Mother of six children , grandmother to eleven! I love to cook, craft and create things and I especially love doing that with my family, So, when my lawyer daughter, Lindsey, my artist daughter, Madalynn, and I came up with the idea of Hot Cocoa Bombs, this blog was born. Then, one more daughter, with her technical and science skills, plus creativity has joined in to round us out! Read more about us here! Archives
March 2024
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