Jerri at Simply Sweet Home

Country Bob’s Burgers with Sauce Review & Giveaway

September 20, 2010 41 Comments

I just love homemade burgers! We don’t really grill food that often, so whenever we do hamburgers I usually cook them on my George Foreman Grill. It cooks them up in about 8 minutes, and they’re always delicious!

This past weekend I was out of the usual marinade that I use for burgers, so I decided to try something new. I received a couple of sample bottles of Country Bob’s Sauce a couple of week’s ago, and with the sauce came a brochure which included recipes from The Original Country Bob’s Cookbook, so I decided to try out their recipe. The burgers came out very tasty. In fact, after trying them, I’ve decided that this recipe could double as a great meatloaf recipe as well.

For those who haven’t tried Country Bob’s All Purpose sauce, it has a very interesting flavor. It reminded me of a cross between honey barbeque and a traditional dark steak sauce. It has a very strong taste with a spicy kick. And I’d say it would go well with any meat you had in mind to grill. It would even make a great dip for veggies and grilled appetizers!

Since it’s still 90 degrees here, I say we may as well extend the summer grilling season, and this sauce will definitely add something bold and new to your grilling experience, so go pick up some for next week’s football party and fire up the grill!

Recipe for Country Bob’s Burgers (Adapted from The Original Country Bob’s Cookbook)

Ingredients:
2 lb ground beef
1/2 cup Country Bob’s Sauce
1/2 pouch of Onion Soup Mix

Directions: Place meat in a bowl. Break up using a fork or hands. Add sauce and soup mix. Work in together using hands, and roll into patties. (I made 4 Half-Pound patties.) Fire up the grill. Cook and enjoy!

Giveaway Closed. Congrats to our winner Jessica of My World and My Five Little Blessings

For a list of linky parties I’m linking up to, check out my sidebar or this page.

Disclosure: This Product Was a Free Giveaway Sponsored by Tomoson.com

Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, Giveaways, product review, Sponsors

Scrappy Gifts

September 17, 2010 1 Comment

I’m happy to introduce you to my newest sponsor Scrappy Gifts. This site is owned by Maryanne Nelson, a stay at home mom of one little boy and an avid scrapbooker. Maryanne sells a variety of handmade items, featuring—you guessed it—scrapbook paper! But apart from this, she also hosts monthly Online Crops at her Blog Frog Community.

What’s an Online Scrap Crop? It’s basically a scrapbooking get-together. You can do it alone or get some of your friends together and scrap. Work on any scrapbooking, paper crafting, or cardmaking related projects anytime during the crop. Then take pictures and share them on Maryanne’s Blog Frog Forum (http://theblogfrog.com/935825/forum). You can also discuss anything from scrapbooking tips, to latest tv shows, to your kids.

Challenges, Games, and Prizes are involved! And if you invite a friend and they participate, you automatically will get a prize! Your friend just has to leave a comment saying that you invited them. (You can also contact Maryane if you’d like to participate or offer prizes.) And everything is online, so you can be in the comfort of your own home.

Products

On Maryanne’s website you’ll also find a variety of creations that are premade and up for sale, or you can order a custom made item to fit your own personal style.

Some of my favorite items in her shop are her Scrappy Canvases. These are beautifully made. They come in a variety of designs and are very stylish. And the bright colors will really make your room pop. Another item that will add style and flair to your rooms is the Scrappy Clock. Just imagine ordering a custom clock to match your child’s room decor. Or perhaps you’d like something to brighten up your home office or some other room in your house.

And if you’re looking for a fun way to show off your photos, you’ll love Maryanne’s Scrappy Boxes! The boxes currently available at her website are too cute for words. And I’m sure a customized version would be a keepsake you’d cherish forever.

And for all you lovely ladies who like to scrapbook yourself, Maryanne also sells scrapbook layouts, and she offers the sweetest calendar scrapbooks for “1st Year of Marriage” and “Baby’s 1st Year.” She even gives you the option to order these fully embellished!

For these and more adorable Scrappy products, or for more information on the Online Crops, please head over to Scrappy Gifts and take a look around. You can also connect with Maryanne by liking Scrappy Gifts on Facebook or by following Scrappy Gifts on Twitter.

Disclosure: Scrappy Gifts is a paid sponsor on Simply Sweet Home. All companies and products are evaluated by me, and I only endorse products I believe in. Product information is provided by the sponsor, but the opinions are my own. If you’d like to advertise on Simply Sweet Home, please see my PR Page.

Filed Under: crafts, Sponsors

Friday Favorites – Week 30

September 16, 2010 10 Comments

Hey everyone! Thanks for stopping by for Week 30 of our Friday Favorites Party! If you’re new this week you can join our party by linking up your favorite post of the week. Also, while you’re here please take a moment to visit this week’s featured bloggers, as well as your fellow bloggers on this week’s linky list!

And don’t forget to check out my current giveaways! My Digital Keychain Giveaway ends next week, and there’s a low number of entries! Your keychain will hold nearly 500 digital pictures, and you can even have it personally engraved. Very cool!

Now let’s take a look at our featured posts:

Steelers Wreath from Helby’s Hatch

Very Hungry Caterpillar Party from Living My Life On Purpose

Felt Pouch from A Crafty Escape

Chicken Alfredo Pizza from Retro Housewife: The Remix

Ikea Magazine Holder Redo from Janet of All Trades

Thanks for coming by each week to share your posts with me! Please link up your post’s direct url below! And please invite your readers to come by here as well!

Filed Under: Friday Favorites

Die-Cut Business Card Giveaway

September 15, 2010 62 Comments

I’m always excited to offer print giveaways to my lovely readers, especially when it’s a product that you can use for your blogs and businesses. This time around I’ll be giving away Die-Cut Business cards!

In the past I’ve ordered some Uprinting business cards for my blog. The process was very easy! I used my blog header as a template and created the card design on photobucket, and then I just uploaded it to the Uprinting website and voila!

But if you don’t like designing things or don’t know how, don’t worry! You can always choose from the variety of templates available on the Uprinting website!

I’m very excited that I’m going to recieve a set Die-Cut Business Cards this time! If you’re not familiar with Die-Cuts, these are business cards that feature rounded corners or other fun shapes. It’s a great way to make your cards stand out!

Here’s more information on this prize:

250 Die Cut Business Cards for One (1) Winner
2 x 3.5”, 2 x 2” (square card) or 1.75 x 3.5” (slim card)
Die cutting options available: Rounded Corners, Leaf, Rounded One-Corner, Half-Circle Side, Circle
Paper Type: 14pt Cardstock Gloss, Matte, or High Gloss; 13pt Cardstock Uncoated
Color: 4Color Front, Blank Back; 4Color Front, Black Back; 4Color Both Sides
Limited to US residents only 18 years old and above

Giveaway is now closed. Congrats to our winner, April!

Disclosure: For hosting this giveaway, I will be receiving a set of Die-Cut Business Cards.

Filed Under: Business, Giveaways, Sponsors

Lose-a-Palooza – Lose for Good Campaign

September 13, 2010 3 Comments

Wouldn’t it be great if you could help fight hunger – and encourage your friends to do the same – simply by using your favorite social network to spread the word?

On September 14, 2010, you can! Lose-A-Palooza is a one-day social media event created to encourage participation in the Lose For Good campaign** to benefit Share Our Strength and Action Against Hunger.

For every accepted mention or acknowledgment of “Lose For Good” made on September 14th through blogs, Twitter, Facebook and check-in via foursquare, Weight Watchers will donate $1 – up to $60,000* – to Share Our Strength and Action Against Hunger.

Here’s what you can do to help fight world hunger on September 14:

1. Help via the Blogs. Just comment on this blog post! Don’t forget to include the phrase “Lose for Good” in your comment! And if you find any other Lose for Good posts on other blogs, comment there as well! You can also write your own Lose for Good post! And you can also post about Lose for Good at the Weightwatchers.com Community.

2. Help via Twitter by following @WeightWatchers, @Sharestrength, and @acfusa. And tweet or retweet using the hashtag: #LoseForGood. Also, install a “Lose-A-Palooza” Twibbon to your profile picture (Available 9/14).

3. Help via Facebook. You can like Weight Watchers, Share Our Strength, and Action Against Hunger on Facebook. Also, like or comment on any of the Weight Watchers “Lose-A-Palooza” updates that are posted throughout the day. Add a “Lose-A-Palooza” Twibbon to your profile picture on Facebook as well(Available 9/14).

When they make it that easy, there’s no reason not to help out, so get to commenting! It’s for a good cause!

Disclosure: This is not a paid post. I found out about this campaign through the One2One Network. I am not affiliated with any of the organizations involved in the campaign.

Filed Under: Causes/Charities

Shortbread Cookies

September 12, 2010 6 Comments

Even though I’m a total chocolate lover and I’m always finding new and exciting recipes to experiment with, sometimes I just like something simple and plain. As a child, it thrilled my soul when I’d get to eat homemade teacakes. They were so simple….no chocolate candies, frostings, or sprinkles involved, yet they were so yummy! So today I’m paying tribute to that simpler time and that simpler taste with these delicious shortbread cookies.

Reminder – If you have a cookie recipe you’d like featured for this month’s cookie round-up, please email me. Bars are welcome too!

Recipe for Shortbread Cookies:
Ingredients:
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
If dough is too dry, add up 2 tbsp milk. (I didn’t do this.)

Directions: Mix together all your dry ingredients. Then add butter and vanilla extract. Mix well. Add milk if dough is too dry. Roll out in to dough balls or use a cookie cutter. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes.

Note – Be careful that you do not overbake these. Even cooking them a couple of minutes too long could make them brown and hard, and they won’t taste nearly as good, so keep watch as these are baking.

Tip – If you’re not looking for something simple, you can always put frosting on these. In fact, they’d be great for sandwich cookies too. Or you could add anything else you like. In a couple of weeks, I’ll also be sharing something else that you can do with these shortbread cookies. (You’ll definitely be excited, so stay tuned!)

Check out my sidebar or my Party Page to see all the fabulous places where I’m linking up.

Filed Under: cookies and candy, Recipe of the Week

Friday Favorites – Week 29

September 9, 2010 19 Comments

Hey guys! After an email conversation I had today with my good friend Cheryl at Tidy Mom, I’ve decided to mix it up a little tonight and say “Happy Thursday Night!” (as opposed to the Happy Friday I’m often chanting here.) I mean….I know it’s Friday Favorites, but for once let’s call it what it is. It’s Thursday night! I’m posting this on Thursday night, and I know that you’re all anxiously waiting at your computers so you can be the first to link up on Thursday night! (Or not!)

And then again, if you’re reading this, and it’s already Friday for you, Happy Friday! (Now all the bases are the covered!)

Anyway! I ‘ve very excited that you came to link up this week! By the way, if you came last Friday and things were in disarray, it’s because I was having my blog template reconfigured and making some other changes as well. So I hope you like the semi-new layout!

Just one more thing before I get to this week’s party. I’d like to invite you to enter the 3 giveaways in my sidebar. All three of these have a very low number of entries. I haven’t checked the numbers today, but I know they are a LOT lower than usual, and they’re all good prizes. So go win it up!

Now let’s look at our featured posts!

Lemon Raspberry Delight from Once a Month Mom

Fall Decor for Entry from Le Chateau des fleurs by Frenchy

Zucchini Brownies from Anktangle

DIY Art Matching Game from Mother Lode

Now come and share your favorites with us for this week! Please link to your actual post so that we can easily find your entry. And I’d love it if you’d let everyone know that your sharing your post for Friday Favorites at Simply Sweet Home! Thanks!

Filed Under: Friday Favorites

Flower Arrangement and Vase Revamp

September 8, 2010 16 Comments

I love the brightness and color that flowers add to a room. A few months ago my mom and stepdad were cleaning out my step dad’s mom’s house. (His mother recently passed away.) Among the possessions to be divided between the children, there were a lot of odds and ends that weren’t really worth anything and nobody really wanted. So they either became trash or goodwill items. The above flower arrangement was on her kitchen table. My mom asked me if I wanted it, or if she should put it in Goodwill.

My stepdad looked up and said, “Throw that thing away. You’ve been trying to give it away all week, and nobody wants it.” Well, on that note, I decided I’d take it. Now here’s what it actually looked like originally:

The vase was actually quite cute. It just didn’t match the flowers. Mom suggested I take the fake flowers out and just use it as a vase or a container for something else. But I actually liked the flowers. My solution? Mod Podge of course!

I simply took a little scrapbook paper, brushed on a little Mod Podge, wrapped it around the vase, and voila! Flowers with a color coordinated vase! I actually made it to match this Initial Art that I shared a few weeks ago. (But I didn’t stop there! Wait till you see the other items in my new colection!)

By the way, if you want to start on this project from scratch, simply find an old vase. (If you don’t have one around your house, you can always buy one at the thrift store or buy it new at the dollar store). Then get some “florist foam.” (I’m using quotes because I don’t know if that’s what it’s called; that’s just what I call it!) Alternatively you could use styrofoam. If you want to use the vase for real flowers you can order flowers online to switch up the look every once in a while. Then just place it inside your vase, and then poke a bunch of flower stems in to it. Very easy! Then decorate your vase as desired!

Filed Under: crafts, decorating, Home/Garden

Digital Keychain Review & Giveaway

September 7, 2010 38 Comments

Love digital frames? Love key chains? How about a combination of the two? Wholesalekeychain.com has a great selection of digital photo keychains in several colors. I recently received a digital photo keychain in black. These keychains are such a handy way to take your photos with you. I look forward to taking mine with me to any place where you have to sit and wait for any length of time (like at the doctor’s office or on an airplane). And this will also be a fun way to share photos with friends and family.

The key chains feature a one by one inch screen, and the color and clarity of the screen is of a high quality. While the keychain itself is black, the area around the picture screen is silver (actually a mirror), which gives it a very sleek look. You can also get a message engraved on the back, which looks excellent! The engraving can be up to 3 lines long with 11 characters on each line. I just got our last name engraved on mine (yeah, very original of me, I know!) But with that much space, there’s tons of potential (perhaps a very short Bible verse, a personalized message to a friend if you’re giving it as a gift, or maybe your children’s names).

The keychain comes with a USB cord, and it is very easy to install your photos onto the keychain. No special software is needed. (Basically if you can transfer photos from your camera to the computer, you can do this!) And you can even charge the keychain very conveniently with your cell phone charger.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the keychain is the amount of storage space available. I was able to load 485 cat pictures onto my key chain. (Yes, that’s right…485 CAT pictures! And believe it or not, I didn’t even load all the pictures I had! Either I have the most interesting cats in the world, or I’m a little obsessed. But I digress!) Anyway, this amount of storage space makes the possibilities seemingly endless for you as far as your photo choices. When digital frames first came out a few years ago I got one from Christmas. They cost over a hundred dollars at the time, and I don’t think my frame even holds 50 photos, so 485 photos on a key chains is just phenomenal to me!

If you love digital photos, I suggest you get one of these. They are just $5.99 at Wholesalekeychain.com, which is just a super value! And they are a fantastic way to take your memories with you anywhere!

Win it! One Simply Sweet Home reader will win a digital keychain.

Mandatory Entry: Visit Wholesalekeychain.com. Then come back here and tell us another item you like. Deadline to enter: Sep 22

Extra Entries:
2 for subscribing to my Simply Sweet Home via email.

2 for following Simply Sweet Home on Twitter.

1 for becoming a fan of Simply Sweet Home on facebook.
2 for subscribing to my RSS feeds through Feedburner.
2 for following me through blogger’s Google Friend Find.
1 if you have my button on your blog.
1 for writing about this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook. (Sample Tweet: I want to win a digital photo keychain! http://bit.ly/9jGzes @SimplySweetHome) (Limit one entry per day.)

-Jerri

Disclosure: For writing this review, I received a free digial keychain from Wholesalekeychain.com. If you have a product you’d like for me to review, just send me an email or see my PR page for details on advertising.

Filed Under: Giveaways, product review, Sponsors

New! Mom-preneur Blog & Etsy Guide

September 7, 2010 1 Comment

I’m sure most of you are familiar with Laurie of Tip Junkie. And you know that she’s a super blogger who’s all about promoting other bloggers and mom-preneurs. Today I’m pleased to introduce you to my newest affiliate program and the newest ebook being offered on Laurie’s site. It is Mom-preneur Blog & Etsy Guide.

The goal of the Mom-preneur Blog & Etsy Guide is to give you another perspective on how to sell products online through your blog, website, Facebook, and Etsy.

Simply put, it is full of effective advice to help you brainstorm ways you can ask for money. Including, useful strategies on how to set your blog up to sell your products and services, give you some Etsy advice, as well as several marketing strategies. The goal is to help facilitate your naturally creative brain to find ways you can effectively sell online.

Do you want to know how to set your blog up for selling success?

Would you like to know others’ best selling tips and strategies?

Would you like to know how to market a new product and make sales immediately after announcing it?

It is easy to read, has a lot of real-world strategies, and encouraging words from fellow women in business. We as women are expected to juggle a LOT. Therefore this Mom-preneur guide also covers more than just sales.

The book also comes with 3 great printable Bonus Gifts!

Giveaway Check List – When another blogger hosts a giveaway one of your products or services.

How to Promote a Giveaway – A check list on how to drive traffic to a giveaway.

New Product Check List – How to drive traffic to a new product you just uploaded.

Click here to view more details on this fabulous book!

If you have an Etsy shop or other online business, you should also learn more about mobile advertising.

-Jerri

Filed Under: Business, Sponsors