BakeitFun Baking Mat Review

A couple weeks ago I received the BakeitFun Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat.  My pans are old and not in the best condition so I was happy to try it out.

Some great features of this mat include:

• 100% Professional German Grade, FDA Safe & BPA Free Silicone
• Heat Resistant from -40°F up to 450°F
• Oven, Dishwasher, Microwave and Freezer safe
• Non-Stick
• Reusable up to 2000 uses
• Convenient Size: 16 ½" x 11" fits a half-sized baking sheet
• Professional 0.75mm thickness
• Rulers help you measure food placement
• Circles provides perfect cookies sizing

I have used this baking mat several times now and what I really like is that it is easy to clean and nothing slicks to it! I love how everything just slips right off.

Below you can see my video review. :)

 

Find Out More:  You can find out more online at BakeitFun.  The BakeitFun Standard Green Mat is just $11.99 on Amazon.  BakeitFun products are backed by a Lifetime Money-Back Guarantee.  

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©2010-2015 Our Homeschool Reviews. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://ourhomeschoolreviews.blogspot.com/

Vegan Cuts Review

Last month I was contacted by Vegan Cuts and asked if I would like to review their March Snack Box.  If you've been reading my blog for the past couple months, you know that I started eating a plant based diet, so I was excited to try it out!

Each month Vegan Cuts sends out their Snack Boxes straight to your home.  You never know exactly what will be included, but they will always contain 7-10 vegan goodies, most of which are gluten free.  They are 100% vegan, meaning no animal products of any nature including honey.

Below is my March Snack Box

Loved it

Ocho Candy Organic Coconut Bar

R.W. Garcia Salt & Vinegar Tortatos

Vigilant Eats Superfood Cereal

Earnest Eats Trail Mix Bar

 Our hands down favorite, just wish it was a bigger sample!

I'm not the biggest Salt & Vinegar fan but the flavor was not overpowering.  

We all loved these!

Pretty Good

Oogave Loca Diet Root Beer Soda

Explore Asian Soybean Noodle Soup

Eh

Deeply Rooted Roots Drink Powder

Garden of Life RAW Protein Powder

I don't really like protein powders so I wasn't too excited to see them in my box.  I really wish I had more snacky foods included but I know every month is different.

My Thoughts:  Overall I love the idea of getting a box full of different vegan goodies each month.  It was fun to try and find out about new vegan snack foods.  I had never heard of any of the products included in my box before I received it.  I'm now wondering, of course, what April's box will include. :)

I do wish there were more snack foods included though.  My box had 9 items from 8 different companies, 3 of which were protein powders.  Also, when I added the value of the items in my box, I came under the $19.95 price tag by at least a few dollars.  Shipping is always free though, so that's a plus!

Find Out More:  You can find out more online at Vegan Cuts.  Snack Boxes are $19.95 a month with free shipping.  Vegan Cuts also offers a Beauty Box for $19.95 a month as well. 

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©2010-2014 Our Homeschool Reviews. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://ourhomeschoolreviews.blogspot.com/

My Target Breakfast Twist

Last month Platefull Co-op and Target sent me a whole box of goodies so I could create My Target Breakfast Twist.  Of course, Funny Bunny loves all that was included and she started right away making some creations!

We received:

• 1 pouch Nature Valley Protein Granola
• 1 box Nature Valley Granola Bars
• 1 box Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch cereal
• 1 box Trix cereal
• 1 package Quaker Oats
• 1 jar Jif peanut butter
• 1 package Nutella mini cups
• 1 pouch Grandma Hoerner’s Big Slice apples snack

Our first creation - Banana and Jif Peanut Butter on Nature Valley Granola Bars

Then Funny Bunny mixed the Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch cereal with the Nature Valley Protein Granola for a quick snack

I used up the whole container of Quaker Oats by making oatmeal every other morning for myself and of course Funny Bunny made a couple Nutella sandwiches for herself.  None of what we came up with looked as good as this though!

You can find that delicious looking recipe along with several others at Target!

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©2010-2014 Our Homeschool Reviews. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://ourhomeschoolreviews.blogspot.com/ 

SodaStream House Party!!

I was lucky enough to be one of many bloggers who had the opportunity to review a SodaStream! Today we had our SodaStream Fizz & Football Superbowl House Party with friends and family!

It was fun trying it out and very easy to use.  Just simply connect the Carbonator to the back of the unit and you are ready to start.  Then fill a carbonating bottle with water, insert it in the front, and press down to add the fizz.  There are three different carbonating levels so you can adjust the level of fizz to your liking.

Then pop the bottle out and add one of the 70+ SodaMix flavors, from soda to tea to lemonade.

They even have SodaStream NEW Sparkling Naturals, made from cane sugar and other all-natural ingredients, making `better for you’ sodas. Sparkling Naturals contain no artificial flavors, no artificial colors and no artificial sweeteners, and do not contain any preservatives.

Each bottle of concentrated SodaMix contains enough syrup to make about 12 liters or 33 cans of soda. Plus, there is no high-fructose corn syrup in regular flavors and no aspartame in diet flavors.

Carbonators are available in two sizes, 60 liters and 130 liters, but are not both compatible with all of their machines, so be sure to check online first before replacing yours.  Empty carbonators can be exchanged for a full one at participating SodaStream authorized dealers.

SodaStream can be purchased online or at one of the many authorized dealers, like Target, Walmart, Kohls, BJ's, and more.

If you are looking for an alternative to store bought sodas and flavored drinks and also something that is a little more earth friendly, then maybe take a closer look at SodaStream.

Edited on 3-11-14 - Since receiving the SodaStream, we've used it a couple more times.  Even though we like it, we have to find a place to store it, and it seems like a lot of work for a simple soda.  Hubby has also made a mess with it twice now. ;)  He does like it to make carbonated water, so for now it stays.  

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©2010-2014 Our Homeschool Reviews. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://ourhomeschoolreviews.blogspot.com/

Glee Gum: Make Your Own Chocolate Kit Review

I posted back in May about our experience with Glee Gum's Chewing Gum Making Kit and this weekend Funny Bunny and I had the opportunity to try their Make Your Own Chocolate Kit. 

Everything you need to make your delicious chocolate is included in the kit!

The instructions were simple!  We chose to use the microwave instead of the stove top because I know how impatient Funny Bunny can be with cooking.  ;)

Included in the kit is also some great information on chocolate and how the pods are harvested and beans fermented.  I didn't even know the beans had to ferment.  There was also a lesson on tempering the chocolate, which is one of the things we had to do.

Below Funny Bunny is holding up a cacao bean.  Two were included so we could taste it.  Overall consensus was that they were super bitter!

It was suggested that we fill our cups with peanut butter and/or marshmallows, so that is what we did!

Then the pouring began!  YUM!!!

The final product was some delicious chocolate!! 

Thoughts of a 10-Year Old:  I liked Make Your Own Chocolate Kit a lot!  The instructions were simple to follow, and I learned a lot about making chocolate.  The chocolate-making was fun, though it took a while to temper and it was messy.  I think that it was interesting to see that from that little teeny weeny cacao bean created the start of not only the delicious chocolate we made, but chocolate in stores around the world!  But I think the best part was eating the chocolates we made.  Yum!

Find Out More:  You can find out more online at Glee Gum.  The Make Your Own Chocolate Kit is only $13.95.  Great for ages 8 and up!  There's also a lesson plan for grades 5-8 at the chocolate link above.

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©2010-2013 Our Homeschool Reviews. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://ourhomeschoolreviews.blogspot.com/

Glee Gum Candy Making Kit Review & Giveaway!!

Do you know what's in the gum you are chewing?  Most likely things like preservatives, artificial flavorings, colorings, or sweeteners, like aspartame.  :/

Glee Gum is different!  It contains NO artificial preservatives, flavors, colors,or sweeteners. All Glee Gum is Vegetarian, GMO Free, Additive Free, Dairy Free, Wheat Free, Gluten Free, Egg Free, Yeast Free, Nut Free, and Peanut Free.

Glee Gum is the only gum in North America made the old-fashioned way, with chicle!  

Chicle is a natural tree sap harvested sustainably from the rain forests of Central America. Once all chewing gum was made with chicle, but today most gum is made entirely from synthetic stuff.

Glee is a “green” gum right down to the packaging, which is made from biodegradable, recycled cardboard. 

Well I had the opportunity to try both Glee Gum and one of their fun Candy Making Kits!!  We received both the Chocolate and Gum Making Kit, but today I'm just going to talk about the Make Your Own Chewing Gum Kit.

The directions were simple and Funny Bunny and I had a lot of fun making our chewing gum.  She was surprised at what it looked like before, during, and after the process.

 

Included in the kit was a fun learning sheet about chewing gum and the rain forest.  You can go here to find out how chewing gum gets "From the Tree to Glee"!  It's actually a pretty interesting process...and very educational!  Educators can also find stories and lesson plans.

Thoughts of a 10-Year Old:  The two flavors we got were Peppermint and Cherry.  At first, when I looked at the little chicle pellets, I thought, "That's gum?" But it did turn out to be gum and it was pretty good, too. Once we melted the chicle, it was really sticky-gooey and hard to get out of the pan. But I think the gum itself was great and it really was gum-y.  My favorite flavor was Cherry, and though the flavor doesn't last as long as regular gum, it's definitely worth it to save the chicle trees!

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GIVEAWAY!!

So, here's how one reader can win one (1) kit of the winner's choice (Make Your Own Chewing Gum, Gummies or Chocolate)!  For each comment, you will get one (1) entry.

1. Leave a comment telling me why you would like to win

2. Like Our Homeschool Reviews on Facebook

3. Like Glee Gum on Facebook

4. Follow my blog using Google Friend Connect

5. Follow me on Twitter @OurHSReviews

6. Follow Glee Gum on Twitter @Gleeguy

7. Tweet about this giveaway up to once a day:  I entered to #win #Gleeguy @OurHSReviews  http://ourhomeschoolreviews.blogspot.com/2013/05/glee-gum-candy-making-kit-review.html #Giveaway ends 5/20

**Remember to please leave a separate comment for each entry**

Contest ends on Monday, May 20, 2013 at 11:59 EST.  The winner will be chosen by Random.org.  This contest is open to U.S. residents who are 18 or older.  If I am unable to reach the winner by email within 48 hours, an alternate winner will be selected.  Your entry is only valid if you include a way for me to contact you (either an email address in your comment or on your profile).  The winner's name will be obtained and publicly announced.  The number of eligible entries determines the odds of winning.  No purchase is necessary to win and this contest is void where prohibited by law.

©2010-2013 Our Homeschool Reviews. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://ourhomeschoolreviews.blogspot.com/

Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil Giveaway

Have you heard of coconut oil?  I searched the other day on health benefits of coconut oil and was surprised at what I found.  I wanted to learn more so I contacted Tropical Traditions, America's #1 source for Coconut Oil and Virgin Coconut Oil.

Tropical Traditions was founded by Brian and Marianita Shilhavy and their story is quite interesting.

Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is their highest quality coconut oil.  This premium Virgin Coconut Oil is handcrafted by family producers in the Philippines using traditional methods passed down from previous generations.  They were the first ones to export Virgin Coconut Oil from the Philippines to the United States back in 2001. 

I was sent a quart of Certified Organic Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil to review.  I don't really use a lot of oil in my cooking, but after looking at the health benefits, I was ready to try it out.  Their site has hundreds of recipes listed so there are plenty to choose from, but I wanted to see how I could incorporate it into my already planned out week.

Most research I have read states that consuming at least 2-3 tablespoons is beneficial.  Coconut oil can be used in any recipe that calls for oil or butter.  It's also easy to pour a little on popcorn, which is what I did the other night.  I never use butter or even oil when cooking my popcorn {we just add a cup of kernels to a paper bag and microwave} so it added a nice flavor. 

Find Out More:  Right now Tropical Traditions is having a sale and selling their Certified Organic Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil for $19.95 for 1 pint or $29.95 for 1 quart.  

Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil.  Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online.  Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

And they are so convinced that you will love this oil, that they offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on their 16oz trial size.  If for any reason you are not 100% satisfied with your trial size in the first 30 days, you can get a full refund - no questions asked!  

You can learn more by watching this video.

If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you.

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GIVEAWAY!!

So, here's how to enter to win one (1) jar of Certified Organic Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!!  For each comment, you will get one (1) entry.

1. Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions Newsletter. 

2. Leave a comment telling me why you would like to win.

3. Like Our Homeschool Reviews on Facebook

4. Like Tropical Traditions on Facebook

5. Follow my blog using Google Friend Connect

6. Follow me on Twitter @OurHSReviews

7. Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter

**Remember to please leave a separate comment for each entry**

Contest ends on Monday, November 26, 2012 at 11:59 EST.  The winner will be chosen by Random.org.  This contest is open to U.S. residents who are 18 or older.  If I am unable to reach the winner by email within 48 hours, an alternate winner will be selected.  Your entry is only valid if you include a way for me to contact you (either an email address in your comment or on your profile).  The winner's name will be obtained and publicly announced.  The number of eligible entries determines the odds of winning.  No purchase is necessary to win and this contest is void where prohibited by law. 

Disclosure:  This product was given to Our Homeschool Reviews for free for review purposes, and I do not have to return the products to the vendor.  I have received no compensation from it and all opinions and experiences within this review are my own.

Everyday Cooking Review

Everyday Homemaking is packed with practical ideas, time-and money-saving tips, and useful products and tools to help you better manage your household and time.

Whether you are a homeschooler looking for advice and encouragement or an overwhelmed homemaker trying to get the house organized and dinner on the table, Everyday Homemaking has something for you.

Their website includes free recipes and articles and a great section called Kitchen Servants, which includes links to recommended mixers, grain mills, and cookware.  Oh yeah, and here is the page on the Vita-Mix...my dream appliance!  If you have some time, these pages have some great information! 

They also have a wonderful Book Series.  I had the opportunity to review one of their books called Everyday Cooking.  

Everyday Cooking is a collection of tried-and-true recipes and hints for simple, everyday cooking with an emphasis on whole foods - from a busy homeschooling mother of eight. 

Here you can click on the preview to see a few sample pages.  The book includes photos, sample menus, shopping and equipment tips, and more than 125 recipes!!

Each month they feature some of the recipes from Everyday Cooking on their site.  Here are some sample recipes to try for free. 

My Thoughts:  I like how Everyday Cooking is laid out.  After a short Introduction it starts right away with Timesaving Tips and Breakfast Ideas.  It's then broken down into Appetizers & Dressings, Bread & Grains, Main Dishes, Soups, & Sides, and Desserts & Snacks.  In concludes with Basic Measurements and Helps, Meal Planning and Shopping Hints, Sample Menus and Checklists.

I do wish there were more pictures throughout.  There are a few like the one below, but I am visual and really like to see what the end result looks like for each recipe.  I do love the photo explanation in the Breads & Grains section!!

There were also helpful tips scattered about, which I thought were great.

Another thing I would have liked is for more recipe variations and substitutions.  There were several like the one below, but I would have liked more ways to alter the recipes due to allergies or to just make them healthier. 

I do think this is a great cookbook for mothers and daughters and a great resource for the busy mom. 

Find Out More:  You can find out more online at Everyday Homemaking.  Everyday Cooking can be purchased as an e-book {which is what I received} for $14.99 or coil-bound with a glossy cover for $17.99. 

My Crewmates are also talking about Everyday Homemaking, so you can check out what they think about it HERE.

Disclaimer:  This product was given to Our Homeschool Reviews for free for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor.  I have received no compensation from it and all opinions and experiences within this review are my own.