The Winner of the Piggy Paint Gift Certificate is:
Betty Crocker Gluten Free Prize Pack Giveaway
July 14, 2009 By
The Winner is:
- cstironkat said… 78 @ July 20, 2009 11:11 AM
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I learned I can use these without butter. The recipes are on the website.
I was so surprised the other day when I received an email asking me if I would like to review Betty Crocker’s new Gluten Free Dessert Mixes. I couldn’t believe that a company as big as Betty Crocker would be interested in what I had to say about their desserts, but I was terribly flattered and very excited to try the mixes out.
I have such a big pet peeve about Matthew being invited to parties where the host or hostess doesn’t provide Matthew with food he can eat. I was not brought up that way and I would never consider inviting a guest, especially a child, to a party were I did not have something that they could also enjoy. For Matthew’s birthday we invited another child that had even more dietary restrictions than Matthew, but I made sure we had food the child could eat and cupcakes he could enjoy. You would not believe how happy this child was. He came in the house and asked me if it was true that he could eat off the buffet and that he would be able to eat the birthday cake. He absolutely beamed as I showed him all the food he could enjoy. It made me feel good to know that all of Matthew’s guests could partake of his party food.
So when I saw that Betty Crocker had created dessert mixes I was thrilled because Betty Crocker is a well trusted household name, and can be found in any super market. Now people that normally wouldn’t know what to offer Matthew as a dessert at a party can easily stop by their grocery store, pop down the baking isle and grab a box of Betty Crocker cake mix. They can easily make gluten free (and casein free) cupcakes, cookies or brownies, and Matthew, and other kids like him, could be part of the party.
Betty Crocker offers chocolate and vanilla cake, chocolate chip cookies and brownie mixes. The back of the box only gives gluten free directions, that is, they tell you to use butter, but their website gives butter free directions, which in all reality simply tells you to substitute Crisco for the butter in equal parts. I would like to see them put this on the box to make it easier for those of us that are also casein free, but it is such a great start. And some people that are not GFCF savvy may not realize these can be made casein free without explicitly being told.
I decided to try the vanilla cake mix and make cupcakes for the boys. They absolutely loved them. I iced some in vanilla and some in chocolate icing, and the boys have been asking for both. So to make them happy I have been cutting them in half and letting them share. I can’t wait to try out the chocolate chip cookie mix because it is extremely hard to find a good home baked gluten free/casein free cookie. The vanilla cake mix has a nice texture and a good taste, now all Betty Crocker needs to do is give us GFCF icing too!
Want to win a Betty Crocker Gluten Free Mix Prize pack for yourself? Simply head over to the website and take a look around. Leave me a comment telling me something you learned about the mixes and/or how you would use them. This is a mandatory entry and must be done for any extra entries to count. Remember to include your email address or have it visible on your blog.
Extra Entries: Do one, some or all of the following, but remember to leave a comment for each.
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This contest is open to US residents 18 years and older. This contest will end 11:59 PM EDT, August 3, 2009. I will use Random.org random number generator to choose the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to claim the prize or another winner will be chosen.
Butter By Keba Giveaway
July 10, 2009 By
The winner is:
- Heather M said… 43 @ July 22, 2009 1:16 PM
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Lotus nut body Lotion
hmahan_0529 @ yahoo dot com
Summer is such a wonderful time of year. Everyone is outside, enjoying the sun and surf, dressing in less-than-bare attire and wearing their favorite sandals or flip-flops. But along with all the fun comes the dehydration associated with sunburn, saltwater, chlorine and even windburn. I know my skin has started to suffer, especially my feet. I’m always in my favorite flip-flops and wear them to do just about everything, but even with a pedicure and regular maintenance in the shower, my feet are still rough.
But never fear, I have found Butter by Keba which is a line of body care products that combine both moisture and fragrance. I received the Basil Hand Butter (a personal favorite of mine), La Vera Butter (which reminds me of summer itself), Lotus Nut Butter (which has a floral scent that actually reminds me of the Christmas holidays for some reason), Citruese Lotion (which of course has a crisp citrus scent), Green Tea Lotion (which smells of tea and roses), and the Nostaljialeek Lotion (which is a blend of Vanilla and chamomile, neroli and petitgrain).
I really enjoyed using the Basil Hand Butter on my hands in the evening once the boys are in bed and I can pamper myself a little. The butters are made from shea butter, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil and sunflower oil, and then scented with one of Keba’s specially blended fragrances. I also started using the La Vera Butter on my dry feet. The scent is wonderful and lingers perfectly. If I was going out on a date with my hubby this would be the perfect scent to moisturize with after a shower and know that I would smell wonderful for the rest of the night. I wouldn’t need to add any chemical laden perfumes to the mix.
Something else really cool about Butter by Keba is how it all started. Makeba Lloyd created Butter by Keba after traveling to Egypt and becoming inspired by the wonderful smells she encountered in the open air markets there. Once home, Keba decided to study aromatherapy and natural perfume making which launched her into the body care business.
Want to win some Butter by Keba for yourself? Simply head over to Butter by Keba and come back and leave me a comment telling me how you would use your $20.00 gift certificate (SHIPPING IN NOT INCLUDED). Remember to leave your email address or have it visible on your blog. (This is a mandatory entry.)
Want extra chances to win? Simply do one, some or all of the following, making sure to leave a comment for each that you do.
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This contest is open to US residents 18 years and older. This contest will end July 23, 2009 at 11:59 PM EDT. Note that SHIPPING IS NOT INCLUDED With this GIFT. I will use Random.org random number generator to choose the winner. The winner has 48 hours to claim the prize or a new winner will be chosen.
Wee Essential Giveaway
July 10, 2009 By
The Winner is:
- Lee Allport said… 43 @ July 19, 2009 12:39 PM
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I would probably spend it on cloth pads, I’m a big cloth fan!
Lee 🙂
The other day I received a shipment from Wee Essentials, an Etsy shop, dedicated to living a greener lifestyle. I got a few bags of soap bits, some cloth nursing pad and the soothing sinus relief balm. The soap bits are a very cool idea. They are exactly the right size to make a great soaking solution or one-use guest soaps. I like them for taking them in my purse and using them in restrooms that don’t happen to have soap in their soap dispensers. These soaps are made with shea butter and are naturally a high-glycerin soap which means they are very moisturizing, which is really important to moms that have to wash their hands all the time. I really prefer these to using that antibacterial gel that is very popular right now. The gel is full of chemicals and alcohol, and really helps to promote resistant strains of bacteria. A good hand washing does just as much disinfecting and doesn’t contribute to resistant bacteria.
These great little soap bits come in all sorts of lovely scents. I got to try honeyed almond, lavender chamomile, My Baby love and Cherry Vanilla. Oh so wonderful smelling, but not too strong. I gave some to my mom because she is addicted to those awful antibacterial gels. I was hoping this would encourage her to stop using them and instead use these great little soap bits.
I think one of the best items Wee Essentials offers is the Soothing Sinus Relief Balm. It is a Vicks-like eucalyptus and menthol scented balm that is applied directly to your nose. It helps to open clogged sinus but it also helps sooth raw and irritated noses. It comes in a lip balm size stick and is full of really hydrating and healing oils such as jojoba, almond and macadamia. Good for anyone with a bad cold.
Lastly I wanted to tell you about a green movement that I think many women don’t even think about and that is using Cloth Menstrual Pad. These pads replace you disposable pads and are very convenient. They are shaped like traditional disposable pad, they even have “wings”, but they are reusable. Simply soak the used pads (in the solution you made from your soap bits) and then wash. Once they are dry you can use them again. You need a few to get you through your cycle, but they are very economical and since they don’t end up in a landfill they are a much “greener” alternative to disposable pads.
Would you like to win a $20.00 gift certificate from Wee Essentials? Simply head over to the Wee Essentials shop and take a look around. Then come back to Matthew’s Puzzle and leave me a comment on how you would spend your $20.00. Make sure to leave your email address, or that it is visible on your blog. (This is a mandatory entry)
Want Extra Entries? Simply do one, some or all of the following, but make sure you leave me a comment for each that you do.
Subscribe to Matthew’s Puzzle’s RSS Feed
Follow Matthew’s Puzzle Publicly
Tweet this contest
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Put the Matthew’s Puzzle button on your blog or blog roll.
This contest is open to US residents 18 years and older. This contest will end July 23, 2009 at 11:59 PM EDT. I will use Random.org random number generator to pick the winner. Only entries that are, or are accompanied by, the mandatory entry will be considered. The winner has 48 hours to claim their prize or a new winner will be chosen.
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