New Year's & Game Day Treats from Gramma in a Box (Review)

Being a working mom with two young kids is never easy. I still want to do fun projects and make treats with them, but often find myself with very little time to actually do so. Thankfully, I was able to get another Gramma in a Box treat decorating set this month and it was just as fun as last month's!

Gramma in a Box is a monthly subscription service that sends nearly everything you need for three yummy treats!

The only things I've needed to provide on my own have been a spoon and bowl, a paper plate, and scissors. Everything else, from the cookies to the sprinkles to the melting chocolate and pretzels, is in this little box!

The theme of this month's box was New Years and Football.

While my little family isn't really into football, it didn't stop us one bit from enjoying both the making and the eating of these treats!

The first of these treats was the New Year Sparklers, which was pretzels with a white chocolate coating and sprinkles.

My kids and I found a great way to make sure everyone got to participate in this in a way that nobody got burned.

My son would hold the pretzel over the chocolate bowl, where I would cover the end in the melted white chocolate (once again, I needed to use a double boiler to melt it), then he would turn so that his sister could sprinkle the pastel dots over it.

The kids had so much fun, they were a little sad when the sixth pretzel was finished!

The second treat was the Game Day Crunch, which didn't lend itself to being much of a group project, as it was mostly mixing hot, melted chocolate into the add ins, but that didn't stop us from enjoying it once it was set!

The third project, cookie decorating, was easily the kid's favorites. The 8 cookies were plenty for us to decorate, without being too many as to be overwhelming.

As last month, everything was tasty, and my son and I definitely enjoyed the eating part!

Unfortunately, my daughter has a very restricted diet, and couldn't partake in that, but she had so much fun with the making, I don't think she minds too much.

I still think that Gramma in a Box is a great subscription, especially for those who may be a little time crunched, as making all three treats took just under and hour, and that was with a distractable four year old and using the stovetop instead of a microwave to melt the chocolate.

The monthly box subscription has plans starting at $20 for a single box.

To me, not having to worry about going to the store, getting all the supplies, baking the cookies, measuring out the other ingredients, is well worth it!

Just knowing that each month will bring a fun family activity and treats makes the kids and I very happy! 

Gramma in a Box is Kid Tested and Jess-Approved!

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Review and Giveaway: Gramma in a Box

Gramma. For me, just the word conjures up images of comforting old women and the enticing smell of something baking in the kitchen. My grandma always has a freezer in the basement full of cookies and other baked goods that she insists we bring home every time we visit. Holidays meant that her kitchen counters would be packed full of freshly made cookies, waiting to be enjoyed. And if you came over while she was baking, you got to help!

These were always fond memories for me, and while most of my dozen cousins can still enjoy going to Grandma's house, I now live 2,000 miles away (well, 1,965, but who's counting?). I have to say, especially around this time of year, I miss going to Grandma's.

I have found one way to help combat the lack of Grandma, and that is Gramma in a Box. Gramma in a Box is a monthly subscription box that delivers all the things you need to make up to 20 cookie and candy treats. This means that the cookies, frosting, sprinkles, and nearly all the little bits you need to make them are included, usually with a seasonally appropriate theme!

Gramma in a Box is $20/month if you are only ordering on a month to month basis, but offers a few ways to save some for a reoccurring delivery.

I was fortunate enough to receive the December box for review, and to make up a few delicious holiday treats with my kids.

The festively decorated box arrived and I have to admit, I loved the stickers that covered the outside of the package! It even contained a helpful “best by” sticker, as well as a reminder to put the box in the fridge if you aren't using it right away.

Inside the well packed box was a card outlining the projects, individual detailed project cards which include ingredients lists on the backs, a contents list, crushed peppermints, candy canes, three different kinds of sprinkles, three colors of frosting, melting chocolate, marshmallows, red hots, cornflakes, and cookies, as well as a couple sheets of parchment paper to help contain messes and paper cups for the wreath treats.

It was a lot of stuff tetrised neatly into the box, and I was actually impressed by how well it all fit.  Nothing arrived crushed or crumpled.

The three treats to be made in this month's box were Hot Chocolate Treats, Holly Wreaths, and Winter Cookies.

The Hot Chocolate Treats and Holly Wreaths had you melt the chocolate wafers in a microwave in the directions, but I don't have a microwave and haven't for years, so I did it the old fashioned way and melted it in a double boiler rig using a small pot and a heat safe bowl on the stove top.

Being a grown woman who has lots of experience baking and creating in the kitchen, none of these projects took me more than 5 minutes after I got the chocolate melted.

Once you include children in the mix, as I did with my son for some of the cookies when he got home from school that day, it might have taken longer, but still a short enough time to hold their interest.

Even though the treats didn't take long to make (thanks to everything having been prepped), I still had lots of fun putting them together.

The cookies come pre-baked, making this a decoration project with no time needed to mix, bake and cool the cookies.

I actually appreciated that I didn't have to measure out ingredients or worry about baking the cookies, especially when kids are in the mix! It was really nice to have everything at hand; they really mean it when they say “Gramma does all the work. You have all the fun!”.

Not only were these goodies fun to make, they tasted great too! I had to have a plate of yummies after I finished making them, complete with some hot cocoa!

Gramma in a Box is really a fun little box that kids of all ages can enjoy making and eating!  Gramma in a Box is letting us give away a January box to one of our readers in the US - it goes out on Jan 3rd, just in time to be waiting for you on that inevitable first snow day after the kids go back to school.

Read on to see how you can enter to win!

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One winner in the US will win the January Gramma in a Box (value $20.00).

This Giveaway ends at just before midnight ET December 30, 2018

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Giveaway Tools Entry Form below. This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning. (If you don't leave a comment, any additional entries will be void.)

The winner will be notified by email 24 to 48 hours after the end of the giveaway by email. In order to claim the giveaway prize, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected.

Good luck!

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Review: Gravity Chopsticks

If you've ever eaten with chopsticks, you know that you have to have somewhere to rest them between courses or in lulls of eating, especially if you're someone like me, who likes to talk with their hands, and you don't want to be waving around your utensils in conversation.

The traditional answer is chopstick rests, but unfortunately, not everyone has them and sometimes there just isn't enough room to rest them on the side of your plate. When this happens, you usually have to find a napkin or something as a buffer between your chopsticks and the table to keep things sanitary.

Gravity Chopsticks is a company that seeks to fix this predicament. With their innovative chopstick design, the eating tips of the chopsticks are suspended in the air when they are laid down on the table.

These sticks are made of a BPA free thermoplastic which means that they are both dishwasher safe and heat resistant for cooking. They are also slightly texturized, which helps with getting a good grip.

Currently, they come in two different colors: black, which start at $5.95, and a limited edition red, which starts at $7.95. They also offer two different case options for storing and carrying around the chopsticks: black velvet sleeves for $3.00 and a hard carry case for $29.95. The hard carry case is currently out of stock at the time of writing.

I was able to try out four pairs of Gravity Chopsticks, two black and two limited edition red. I really appreciated the texture on them, as I find that some of the chopsticks that I've used before were simply too slippery to really use.

The squared design of the chopsticks was also really nice, because that meant that they didn't just go rolling off the table when they were set down.

While most chopsticks have a continual taper along the entire stick, these achieve their suspension by having an abrupt change of width in the middle of the chopstick. This didn't present any problems for the Mister or a couple of friends who used them, but for me, I had a slight learning curve because that abrupt change is exactly where I usually hold my chopsticks.

It didn't take long though, and I was holding them a bit further back and using them with no problem.

The clearance between chopstick and surface is only a couple of millimeters, so you do have to make sure there are no food particles or saucy goodness on your sticks before setting them down, or you will more than likely have contact with the surface of the table.

While I was able to use the chopsticks to saute some onions and garlic for my ramen, I was not able to test out how well they would handle being put through a dishwasher because my dishwasher's utensil basket's grid is too big, and the sticks fall right through.

I can't see how they would not hold up to it machine washing, though, as they did a great job when I cooked with them on the stovetop.

I love these chopsticks, and I find myself reaching for them over my old sticks constantly. I keep a set in my lunchbox for work and the Mister has even requested a pair to take with him to Korea! Gravity Chopsticks have a simple, elegant design that works!

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DIY Chalkboard Table

Our kitchen table was given to us shortly after the Mister and I moved into our first apartment by my father. It had been passed around various members of my family for years before even he got it, but for a newlywed couple just starting out, it was perfect.

After a few years, however, I found myself wanting to make it my own.

After some browsing around Pinterest, I decided that a chalkboard table would be the perfect thing for a little family with two young kids!

Actually transforming the table was a lot easier than anticipated!

I went to the hardware store and got some sandpaper and some chalkboard spray paint.

In use as a dining table

Then, one evening after the kids went to bed, I dragged the table out to my carport and started sanding away.

I only did a light scuffing of the varnish, to give the paint something to adhere to.

Thankfully, that was all it needed, and even though it was the part of the job that took the longest, it still didn't take very long at all.

The next part was the most fun, painting!

Even though I was outside I still put on a particle mask and went to town!

I ended up emptying the entire can on the table.

After letting the table dry overnight, I was delighted with the results!

Chalk Octopus!!

I now have a beautiful table that my kids can color on during the dreary wet months of winter in western Washington, and I spent less than $20 to get it!

After a few months of use, I have noticed a few spots where the paint has rubbed or chipped off, but it's really nothing that a bit of touch up chalkboard paint that I got at the craft store can't fix! 

Simon's Chocolate Protein Birthday Cake #FireflyFeast

This month's Fandom Foodies theme is Firefly/Serenity, hosted by Fictional Fare - I am a huge fan of Joss Whedon's all-too-short series, so I had to get in on this.

In the Firefly episode “Out of Gas”, Kaylee makes Simon Tam a big birthday cake to celebrate. Unfortunately, she couldn't get a hold of any flour, and it's mostly protein, well, essentially what they just had for dinner. But she tried to make it as chocolate-y as possible!

Earlier this month, I celebrated my own birthday, and decided to make my own version of Simon's birthday cake.

Now, because I am not wandering the known 'verse, getting my hands on flour is actually pretty easy. Shiny!

But in the spirit of the episode, I decided to try my hand at a new type of protein rich frosting, made from tofu!

Here is my interpretation of Simon's birthday cake, with a little homage to Kaylee's favorite fruit!

Simon's Chocolate Protein Birthday Cake

Cake:
2 ¼ c all purpose flour
1 2/3 c sugar
¾ c softened butter
1 c dark cocoa powder
1 ¼ c whole milk
1 ¼ t baking soda
1 t salt
2 t vanilla
¼ t baking powder
2 c dark chocolate chips

Chocolate Protein Frosting (see below)

Preheat oven to 350* F. Grease bottom and sides of a Bundt pan.

Beat all ingredients with an electric mixer for 3 min on med/high speed. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour into the pan.

Bake for about 50 min, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Protein Frosting
1 package soft tofu
powdered sugar to taste (I used about 2 cups?)
½ c dark cocoa powder

Mix tofu, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar until everything is a smooth, frosting texture. 

Spread frosting on cooled cake. 

For an added Kaylee touch, you can put sliced strawberries on top like I did!

Don't forget to head over to Fictional Fare to see how other bloggers are sharing their Firefly inspirations!

Review: Monthly Watch Club for Women

Ask somebody what time it is and you just might get the sarcastic reply of “time for you to get a watch”. While our phones will tell us what time it is in any part of the world, there is something classic and classy about having a good, old fashioned wristwatch.

My signature watch for years now.

I remember my first watch, which I got in early elementary school. My grandparents gave it to me for my birthday.

It was an analogue white watch face with a purple stretchy wristband that had embroidered flowers, and I wore it until it could no longer work and the flowers on the band were so frayed they became unrecognizable.

After that watch, I found a new staple. My go to watch style for many many years has been simple: a silver analogue face with a thin black leather band.

While this style is simple, I now find that as I have gotten older, I wish to expand on my watch designs.

Unfortunately, when I go to a store or look online, I get a bit overwhelmed with options and don't even know where to begin. 

With Monthly Watch Club, subscribers can get a beautiful watch in the mail every month, saving the chore or shopping for a new look, and building a lovely wardrobe of accessory timepieces!

Monthly Watch Club is a monthly subscription service that sends out a wristwatch with plans starting at 39.99 CAD (approx $32 USD). Each month they will send you a new watch, and you will never receive the same watch twice. They offer services for both men and women. You can even purchase past watches on their website!

I received the November Women's Watch, which is a beautiful work of art. The entire watch is a bit larger than my go-to style, but I really like it.

It has a wide black leather band and a black face with a floral pattern around the edge. The hands and visible metallic pieces are all also black. There is also a small Monthly Watch Club logo on the face.

This logo is also etched in the back of the watch. While the overall coloring may be a bit dark, the floral pattern adds a clear feminine touch to this watch. Some may find this particular watch a bit dark for their tastes, but I could not ask for a more perfect watch. I've honestly worn it everywhere and am happy to have it become a regular part of my wardrobe.

If you also love this watch and would like to order it, you can find it on their website for 89.99 CAD (approx $72.50 USD)

I would highly recommend trying out Monthly Watch Club if you are a fan of quality watches. The value per month is unbeatable.  The Monthly Watch Club would also make a wonderful gift for the watch lover in your life.

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Anime Bento Unboxing

Once again, I was treated to a fun Anime Bento Box! For those of you who don't know, Anime Bento is a subscription service that sends a box full of anime goodies and even includes a yummy Japanese snack!

This month's box included two figurines, one Sailor Moon and one Dragon Ball, a Ranma Express tee shirt, an Anime Bento file folder, and a grape chewing candy. Also in the Bento Box was a card detailing what was included in the box and a sneak peak of the next one!

Everyone I know at least knows of Sailor Moon, even if they didn't watch it. The figurine I got was Sailor Moon herself, in her Princess form.

She sits atop a little stand, and according to the pictures on the box, she can even perch on a glass rim. Unfortunately, my day to day glasses are too thick for this, so I only get to utilize this feature if I'm drinking from my wine glasses. So, for the most part, she lives on the shelf with the rest of my adorable anime figurines.

Dragon Ball Z was actually the very first anime I ever saw. I remember my brother and my dad watching it together every Saturday morning, while I usually read on the couch. To be completely honest, I never actually cared for the fight filled anime that honestly reminded me of a Superman knock off, but I still knew exactly what I was going to do with the figurine!

My brother had his birthday this month, and I knew he'd appreciate it as a decoration for his new house, so I wrapped it up and shipped it off to him, glad to know that it would be enjoyed.

The bright red shirt is a fun play on the well known restaurant, Panda Express. After a bit of searching, I found that it references the anime Ranma ½ that follows a teen aged boy who, due to an accident in his training, becomes a girl when splashed with cold water.

It has been said that Ranma ½ was actually one of the first anime/manga to become popular in the US, which makes it interesting enough that it's been added to my ever growing “to watch” list.

The file folder for this month is the same pocket type that I have come to expect from Anime Bento. The three Bento Girls in kimonos grace the front. With the school year fast approaching, I know that I will be using this!

Finally, the treat in this month's box was a grape chewing candy. Like the Pokemon candy from last month, I at first thought it was gum, but found out otherwise.

Usually, I absolutely loathe grape flavored candies, and thought it was going to be a treat for Mischief, but after smelling it, I decided to give it a try. I'm not sure what the exact difference is between Japanese grape flavoring and US grape flavoring, but I have come to the conclusion that the Japanese is by far the superior. Every single time I have gotten a grape something or other for a treat, I have ended up liking it.

Once again, I have gotten a lovely Anime Bento Box, full of goodies that I can use and love. If a monthly box like this seems up your alley, subscriptions start at $35.00/month.

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