Lovin' From the Oven

Chinet® Cut Crystal® Breakfast Party and Giveaway

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IMG_5871 Having a little ol’ galley kitchen in my townhouse, I worry about having people over and entertaining because I don’t have enough room to spread out or clean up. My sink has to be empty, otherwise the kitchen looks like a tornado went through it. I don’t have a lot of space for dishes to pile up or cups to stack. That’s where Chinet® Cut Crystal® plates and cutlery (and new stemless wine glass) come in to rescue me. IMG_5844 They have a line of disposable tableware that makes clean-up a lot easier for me. I don’t have to wash any dishes when I’m done. All I have to do is toss them in the trash can! They’re sturdy, so they can stand up to the challenge when trying to stuff a plate with as much food as possible. Can you say buffet line? IMG_5842 The plates are also clear with an elegant swirl pattern, so you don’t have to worry about them matching your table/decor/theme. They go with everything! IMG_5832   I opted to host a breakfast party, using the new Chinet® Classic White® Chip & Dip Party Tray as a yogurt-and-berries tray instead. The possibilities are endless, really. You can put melted chocolate in the middle instead, or change the entire getup with cheese and veggies! IMG_5854   For my layout, I put out Greek yogurt, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, whole wheat waffle, mini pancakes, Swedish pancakes, powdered donuts, and chocolate covered donuts. Trader Joe’s made my life a lot easier when preparing for this breakfast get together. Their frozen section is my best friend! IMG_5862 Comfort Cup ® by Chinet® coffee cups are great for the morning, but they also have stemless wine glasses for those evening parties. Yes, wine glasses that you can throw away! Imagine that. They thought about everything to make your life stylish, convenient, and coordinated. With everyone’s busy schedules now and days, it’s difficult to schedule a time to get together. Chinet® Cut Crystal® helps us with that by simplifying serving and clean-up. Make time to get together with your friends and family, it’s worth it! For other decoration inspiration, craft and recipe ideas for your next gathering, visit the Chinet® website here.IMG_5823

 

To enter for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card and a Chinet® gift pack (approximate retail value of gift pack is $50), leave a comment below letting me know: How would Chinet® Cut Crystal® elevate your next get-together?

Entry Instructions:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

  1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
  2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
  3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
  4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 5/4/15 – 6/14/15.

Be sure to visit the Chinet brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

Cinnamon Banana Cake

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I’m just curious– how many of you guys made a New Year’s Resolution and are still sticking to it? We’re already past one quarter of the year (crazy, right?), are you on track to keep it up for the remaining months? I made a simple resolution: to read 50 books by the end of the year. So far, I’m well ahead of track.

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Thanks to my Christmas present from my DH, a Kindle Paperwhite, I go through books like nothing. I just finished book number 26 and already have five more to read. Seriously, it’s addicting. I carry my Kindle with me everywhere I go.

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I’m currently reading Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation by Bill Nye. Yes, that Bill Nye the Science Guy. It’s a bit different than what I normally read, but I’m already hooked. Another favorite of mine so far this year is Not My Father’s Son: A Memoir by Alan Cumming. They’re both just amazing men.

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Do you have any good book recommendations? I’m always looking for something to add to my list! I’m open to any category: romance, sci-fi, memoirs, biographies, teen adult, mystery… you name it, I’ll read it. I don’t discriminate against books.

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I’ve always been a bit of a bookworm growing up. I don’t understand kids that aren’t into reading, especially with all of the book that they have access to now and days. Not only do you have a physical library to go to, you can always check out books on OverDrive instantly! That still blows my mind how I can check out a library book in five seconds from the comfort of my own bed.

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That’s why with all of the kids in my life, I’m a constant book gift-er. I’m crossing my fingers that eventually, they’ll see a book that intrigues them and become hooked. Books open a whole other world of creativity and imagination.

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Maybe you can make this cinnamon banana cake and bribe your kids to pick up a book? One slice of cake for one book read. I’d be all over that.

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This cake has everything that I dream of. Chocolate, bananas, and a cinnamon crumb. It baked beautifully and each bite left me wanting more. Just trust me on this one.

Recipe adapted from The Idea Room.

Print
Cinnamon Banana Cake

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 dash salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 cups vanilla greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
    • Filling:
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 Tbs. cinnamon
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Blend butter, sugar, bananas, eggs and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients for the cake.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix all the ingredients for the filling. Layer batter and filling twice in a 9X13 dish. Bake 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.
https://lovintheoven.com/cinnamon-banana-cake/

Apple Fritter Bread

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Every once in a blue moon, I’ll make a recipe that completely blows my socks off. This was one of those times! Can’t you tell just by looking at the first photo?

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I’m so glad that spring break is over. Working flights during that time means complete chaos with all of the kids traveling. I worked a flight to Washington D.C. two weeks ago that had 100 middle school kids and not nearly enough chaperones. We ran out of Sprite, Coke, Gingerale, Coke Zero, Sprite Zero, all  of our juices, and Seltzer. I’ve NEVER run out of soda on any flight until now! Those kids made us work the entire flight. I was exhausted.

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Middle school kids are at the awkward stage in their lives where everyone’s trying to fit in, but no one knows what they’re supposed to do. All the boys are trying to get the girls’ attentions while the girls are trying to get in the “coolest” group. I already told my DH that whenever we have kids, they’re all his the moment they hit their tween/teenager stage. That’s by far the hardest age to deal with!

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I did receive the strangest compliment while working that flight, though. One of the girls reached out to me after I gave her her apple juice and said, “This is going to sound really weird, but I think you have beautiful hands! You should be a hand model or something!”

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So that was sweet. Pretty much the only sweet thing to happen during that 5 1/2 hour flight.

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Let’s talk about this apple fritter bread, shall we? The apple layer in the middle gives just the right amount of apple without being overboard. The bread alone would have even been great. It’s a great base for anything you feel like experimenting with. Don’t have apples on hand? Try peaches or pear!

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The top is what did me in. It does taste like a fritter without any frying involved. That’s a magical thing, if you ask me. Recipe from Rumbly Tumbly.

Print
Apple Fritter Bread

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)
  • 1 apple, peeled and chopped, mixed with 1 T granulated sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • For the glaze:
  • 1 cup of powdered sugar + 1-3 tablespoons of milk or cream, mixed together to a drizzling consistency

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
  2. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Set aside.
  3. Cream together the white sugar and butter. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract.
  4. Gradually stir in the flour and baking powder. Mix milk into batter until smooth.
  5. Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan; add half the apples and half the brown sugar mixture.
  6. Pour the remaining batter over apple layer; top with remaining apples and brown sugar mixture.
  7. Swirl brown sugar mixture through apples using a knife.
  8. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
  9. Let cool for 15 minutes before drizzling with glaze.
https://lovintheoven.com/apple-fritter-bread/

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