Spending My Morning Coffee Break with Some New Flavours & Keurig Coffee Pod Giveaway

Even though I work from home, I find a 10 o'clock break a nice little part of my morning routine. It's something that I look forward to and it helps to break up the morning. Usually, I will grab a cup of coffee and enjoy browsing through a new magazine, or if the weather is nice, I will head outside to look at my plants and flowers. You might remember that we love hot beverages in our house....so much that I created this hot beverage station so we can enjoy all kinds of hot drinks whenever we like. And one of my favourite things to do is to try out new tastes and flavours and add them to our beverage center. I also think it is so fun to invite guests to try out new flavours when they visit too!

Recently for my 10 o'clock break, I had some new coffees to try...the new Keurig® *Compatible Pods, which are available at your local grocery store in your favourite Kraft coffee brands like Maxwell House, Gevalia, and Nabob. Although I tried all 3 flavours, Gevalia Keurig® *Compatible Pods were my favourite because I love a coffee the Swedish way...with a rich full-bodied taste that is just waiting to be savoured, while never bitter. I'm definitely a dark roast drinker. When I add a small treat like biscotti,  it becomes the perfect coffee break. Gevalia Keurig® *Compatible Pods are available in both Dark House Blend and Dark Italian Roast.

We love our Keurig and it is our most used coffee machine. And the new Kraft Keurig® *Compatible pods are so easy to use. I can have a fresh-brewed rich cup of Gevalia coffee ready in just minutes.

Keurig® Compatible Pods Giveaway & $1 Off Offer

Kraft would love to share the taste of their new flavours by giving away boxes of the new Keurig®  *Compatible Pods AND offering $1 off Maxwell House, Gevalia and Nabob Keurig® *Compatible Pods.

To receive $1 off, please visit the Kraft Website HERE.

Enter the "Keurig® Compatible Pods Giveaway" to win boxes of the new Kraft flavours!

10 Winners will win a sample pack of the 3 new pod flavours.

{Winners will also be invited to come back on July 14, 2014 to comment on my blog post part 2 for a chance to win the grand prize giveaway!}
Contest ends June 10, 2014, 23:59 pm

To Enter:

1. You must be 18 and live in Canada to enter. {Void where prohibited.}

2. Enter below by providing your name and email.

3. One entry per contest across Canada.

*See full contest terms and conditions below.

Good Luck!

*Works with Keurig brewing system. Not compatible with Keurig Vue coffee makes.

Disclosure: Although this post has been generously sponsored by Kraft Canada, the opinions and language are all my own, and in no way do they reflect Kraft Canada.

This post is linked to:
Home Stories A to Z, Gingersnap Crafts, Savvy Southern Style

Delicious Basil Watermelon Lemonade

There is nothing like cool sips on a hot day in summertime. And this drink right here....it tastes heavenly! It's the refreshing taste of lemonade with a sidekick of watermelon and basil...and it is so good that everyone in my family loves it and requests it often. And when you create some pretty fruit stir sticks to serve it with, it not only quenches thirst, but feels like a really special treat.

I have had a love affair with fresh basil for many years. The fragrant smell and taste works well with salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes, drinks and many other things. By adding basil to lemonade, it provides a depth of flavour that is perfect and refreshing.

And making this drink is easy....it just takes an extra 5 minutes more than making regular lemonade, but the result is awesome!

Basil Watermelon Lemonade

{Makes 1 pitcher}

Ingredients

-Favourite homemade lemonade recipe or can of lemonade concentrate, made according to directions

-2 cups of watermelon chunks

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped finely

3-4 lemonade slices

-skewers for stir sticks

-fresh fruit for stir sticks

To make:

1. Pour lemonade into a large pitcher.

2. In blender, puree watermelon chucks with 1/2 cup water. Add to lemonade and stir.

3. Add lemon slices and chopped basil. Stir gently.

4. Refrigerate until serving time. Add ice to serve.

5. To make fruit stir sticks, cut fruit into small pieces. If you have miniature cookie cutters, cut some watermelon shapes to add to the top of the sticks. You can use: berries, cherries, banana, watermelon, etc.  and basil leaves.
6. Add a fruit stir stick to each drink when serving.

Basil Lemonade is a wonderful treat to serve on the front porch on a hot day, for a barbecue or to even take along on a picnic.

And it would also be so pretty to serve at birthday parties, wedding showers or baby showers.

And if you are looking for more summer deliciousness, check out these amazing drinks created by my blogger friends!

From left to right, they are:

Sweet Tart Martini by Suburble
PinkGrapefruit and Apricot Martini by Craftberry Bush
Basil Cucumber Mojito by Satori Design For Living
The Classic Caesar by Fynes Designs
Frozen Strawberry Cocktails by Clean and Scentsible
Basil Watermelon Lemonade by Echoes of Laughter
Easy and Delicious Flavoured Waters by A Pretty Life in the Suburbs

Thank you so much for visiting!

This post is linked up with:
Tatertots and Jello, Link Party Palooza, The Party Bunch, Weekend Re-Treat Link Party, The Scoop, Tutorial & Tips Link Party, Monday Funday, The Creative Collection,  Our Sunday Best The Party Bunch,  Showcase,  The Scoop,

Hot Chocolate in A Basket For Winter Fun Season

It's February and that brings a lot of winter activities for those of us who have snow at this time of year! A lot of small communities and cities play host to various winter and skating carnivals during this month...in addition to whatever outdoor fun your family enjoys such as skiing,skating or tobogganing. Years ago, when my daughter first started skating as a little 4 year old, there was one parent who brought a hot chocolate basket to the rink for all of us to enjoy. I so appreciated that warm cup of hot chocolate. Since it's right in the middle of the time for the best winter fun, I created this basket of hot chocolate yummy-ness that can be taken anywhere!

This basket is so simple and easy to throw together.  Just use a large size basket and add these things:

- a thermal carafe for hot chocolate
-Styrofoam cups or reusable to-go cups
-marshmallows
-crushed peppermint or candy canes
-Shelf Safe Milk
-whipped cream in a can
-napkins

And here are a few tips too. Fill the carafe with your favourite hot chocolate just before you leave home. It can also be filled with just hot water and different packages of hot chocolate mixes can be offered as well. I also like use to a carton of Shelf Safe Milk for this basket. It tastes great and it doesn't require refrigeration until it's opened. That means I can leave this basket in my car, just adding hot chocolate in a carafe and a can of whipped cream each time we go out. Shelf Milk has all of the same nutrition as conventional refrigerated milk, it's just pasteurized at a higher temperature. And the carton is designed to keep the milk safe from life and air.

As a busy mom, I always finding having some Shelf Safe Milk on hand is a great help for times when we are out of fresh milk. It's good to know that there is some in the pantry that can not only go into our hot chocolate basket, but also on cereal in the morning or be used to mix up those muffins for school lunches. Having Shelf Safe Milk has saved me more than a few times, and having a carton in our on-the-go hot chocolate basket is just the perfect ticket.I have also purchased cartons of Shelf Safe Milk to donate to the food bank because I just cannot imagine having children and not being able to buy them milk.

To learn more about shelf safe milk and tips for healthy, active families, visit Milk Unleashed and download the latest Cow Calendar.

Disclosure: I have partnered with Milk Unleashed to bring you this post. However, as always, I only work with those brand that I know and love and use in my own home.



Linking up with:
Tatertots and Jello, Link Party Palooza,Work It Wednesday, StoneGable, Tweak It Tuesday, Wow Us Wednesday, The DIY Dreamer, Inspire Me Please, I'm Lovin' It,  Friday Kitchen Fun & Crafty Linky Party,  The Inspiration Gallery,  Party Bunch Linky Party Super Saturday Link Party, Under  The Table & Dreaming,  It's Overflowing,  Block Party, Monday Funday,Time To Sparkle, 

White Hot Chocolate

There is something so decadent about white chocolate and it is my husband's absolute favourite, so I try to make this lovely homemade white hot chocolate at least once during the cold season. I first made this about 10 years ago and it is always such a treat every time we make it. So velvety and good! And when you add some pink heart-shaped marshmallows, it becomes the perfect Valentine's treat! 

 Although homemade hot chocolate takes some extra time, the results are so worth it! And it is such a delicious change from traditional hot chocolate. Make it for your children, apres skiing, or for guests on a chilly winter evening!

White Hot Chocolate

To Gather:

4 cups milk

1/2 cup good quality white hot chocolate, cut into small pieces

1 teaspoon vanilla

whipped cream

marshmallows

Valentine's Day pareils

To Make:

1. To a medium sauce pan, add milk, white chocolate and vanilla.

2. Melt slowly and gently on medium low heat, whisking often, until hot chocolate mix is completely smooth. {Do not let boil}

3. Divide evenly between 4 mugs and garnish with whipped cream, pareils and marshmallows

I also think that this would be so cute to serve during a winter birthday party too.

Or to make for any little girls who love pink or Fancy Nancy!

If you haven't tried white hot chocolate before, it is such a nice change from the usual!

Looking for more amazing drinks?

Homemade Ginger Tea

Berry Jam Smoothie

Healthy Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

Easy Chocolate Chai Tea Recipe

Creamy Banana Milkshake Recipe

Red Velvet Milkshake

Fuzzy Navel Mocktail Recipe

Shirley Temple Recipe

Looking for more Valentine's ideas? Check out my Pinterest board here:

Valentine's Day Inspiration

Sharing with: The Party Bunch, Tatertots and Jello, Link Party Palooza, It's Overflowing, Monday Funday Linky Party,  Craft-O-Maniac, Our Sunday Best, The Scoop, One Project At A Time, Take A Look Tuesday, Tuesday Talent Show, Tip Me Tuesday, Time To Sparkle, Wow Me Wednesday, The DIY Dreamer,  Savvy Southern Style, Super Saturday Link Party, Under  The Table & Dreaming,

Sparkling Apple Cider +Soda Stream Giveaway {Canada Only}

Coming from a famous apple-growing region in Nova Scotia, we love all things apple. And part of our Fall is apple cider...so tasty and refreshing!

Recently,  we have been making a wonderful twist on this favourite apple beverage...sparkling apple cider.

This is such a great drink to serve on a warm Fall afternoon. My son likes this as a treat when he gets home from school sometimes.

And to make this, only 3 ingredients are needed...apple cider, sparkling water and apples.

To make this drink:

Sparkling Apple Cider

-ice
-favourite apple cider
-sparkling water
-small apple slices for garnish

1. Add ice to a mug. Fill mug 2/3 full of sparkling water.
2. Add apple cider to top of glass. Garnish with small apple slices and a straw.
3. Serve.

This is such a pretty drink for Fall, yes?

 It would be so perfect for a Fall birthday party or get together.

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you might remember that last year , we got a Soda Stream and we can make our own sparkling water and soda at home. We love our Soda Stream and we use it every week!

What else is great about the Soda Stream you ask?

It is so easy to make sparkling water...just fill a Soda Stream bottle with water from your tap or fridge, use the machine to add carbonation and that's it! 

I love that we can make our own drinks at home using our own water.

You can make your own sparkling water and flavour it with a little juice of any kind, or buy one of the Soda Stream flavours to make pop.

No more lugging heavy soda bottles home from the grocery store.

And most importantly, it gets our family directly involved in helping to divert over

360 billion bottles and cans from the landfill each year.

It reduces our carbon footprint by making our sodas at home in re-usable bottles and not using sodas that are trucked hundreds or thousands of km to the grocery store.

AND, as a Mom, I also LOVE that I can make ginger ale any time someone has an upset tummy without having to run to the grocery store, especially at 3 am when someone wakes up feeling ill.

Now here's a special something for all of my amazing readers who keep this blog alive!

Canadian Tire has provided one Soda Stream Jet Titan Kit Starter Kit as a giveaway for one of my lucky readers!

Worth a value of $89.99, it includes one machine, one bottle and one 60 L carbonating cylinder.

To Enter:

1. You must live in Canada and be 18 years of age.

2. Please leave me a comment telling me what drink you would like to make with a Soda Stream.

3. One entry per person. Please make sure your comment includes a valid email address.

4. Giveaway open until midnight PST Time on Monday, October 14, 2013 

Good Luck!

Special thanks to Canadian Tire for generously providing this Soda Stream Starter Kit as a giveaway for one reader. I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

For a great choice in home, automotive and garden needs, please be sure to visit Canadian Tire.

This post is linked to:
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A SodaStream Tasting Bar...& A Discount for You!

A few short weeks ago, the folks at SodaStream Canada contacted me and asked if I would like to try out and review their system.

Would I?

 You bet your grandmother's rocking chair I would!

I had recently tried the Sodastream at a friend's house and I was smitten with the idea.

I even seriously looked at them one day in a store with thoughts of buying one for our family.

This is what the awesome folks from SodaStream sent me:

A Green Fizz starter kit and a sample pack of flavours to try.

We were so excited to get this package in the mail....my son could not open it fast enough.

So, I threw a little taste testing party for our family plus a few friends.

I put out a bunch of flavours to try and some salty snacks to keep people thirsty!

My daughter's friend Jen loved the root beer.

My husband's favourite was cranberry-raspberry.

I loved the cola.

My daughter liked the iced tea.

This was my 11 year old son's review:

And after he had drank a gallon of soda, we kind of cut him off.

A-hem. Moving on.

***

Now, let's talk about how easy it is to make drinks.

It's so easy that my 11 yr. old can do it!

The SodaStream uses recyclable 1 litre bottles to make drinks.

1 bottle comes with the starter kit,but you can also buy more.

{We have 4 bottles total now. I use masking tape & a sharpie to label the bottles in the fridge as to what flavour each bottle is.}

And let me tell you what I *LOVE* about the SodaStream:

I love that we can make our own drinks at home using our own water.

The flavours taste great & there are lots to choose from!

No more lugging heavy soda bottles home from the grocery store.

It doesn't use any power...which makes it perfect for cottages and motor homes.

And most importantly, it gets our family directly involved in helping to divert over

360 billion bottles and cans from the landfill each year.

It reduces our carbon footprint by making our sodas at home and not using sodas

that are trucked hundreds or thousands of km to the grocery store.

***

And the lovely folks at SodaStream Canada have given me permission to pass on a great deal to you!

If you would like to order your own SodaStream Green Fizz starter kit,

 you can go to the site through this link in order to get a

10% discount on your own Green Fizz starter kit.

{Please use this link  in order to get the discount.}

  http://www.sodastream.ca/shop/product_info.php?products_id=145&ref=2 

At the time of check out,  enter the coupon code greenfizz2012 to get a 10% discount on your starter kit. 

This coupon code is good for 4 weeks...July 22 to August 26.

And here is our new home for our SodaStream:

It's our new SodaStream center...perfect for summer!

Our family is really loving this system!

This post is linked to these great parties: