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Disclosure: This site contains sponsored posts, affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale) and is part of the Amazon affiliate program, but all opinions are strictly my own.

Simply Essentials Baking Mat and Pan Set {Giveaway} – CLOSED

March 31, 2014 by
Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

With double the number of women in this house (my sister-in-law has been living with us for the last seven months), the amount of baking and cooking in this house has also doubled.  I feel like everything in the kitchen gets used and washed twice as frequently, so I’m really noticing what things are lasting and which things are not, as well as which things I hate cleaning by hand.  The baking pans are one of those things.  They’re big, they don’t fit well in the dishwasher, and they’re usually coated in something sticky and tough.  Ever since I received this duo from Simply Essentials, its been used for everything that goes into the oven.

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This is the Simply Essentials Baking Mat and Baking Pan Set.  The non-stick baking mat is fantastic.  My sister-in-law says that it is very similar, if not identical, to the Silpat that she owns, which was probably much more expensive.  This really extends the life if your baking pans and keeps you from having to buy/use oil, butter, cooking sprays, parchment, tin foil, etc.

IMG_9940 copyThis unique material consists of a glass weave and food grade silicone.  I love how the mat can roll, freeze, and go in the microwave.  I especially love how I can easily store it anywhere.  Right now, I have it resting inside the stored baking pans under the oven.  I’m hoping this lasts us years and years!

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We hadn’t noticed any problems with the mat retaining stains until we baked a pizza on top.  The red sauce left quite a bit of greasy residue leftover that wouldn’t rinse off even with soap and scrubbing, but after time, more usage, and more scrubbing, it is lightening up.  I don’t think it alters the effectiveness of the product; its only a cosmetic thing.

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Also wonderful was the included baking pan.  This cookie sheet measures 16 5/8 x 11 3/4 inches x .73 mm thick.  It is shiny, smooth, easy to stack and store, and the wide lip on the edges keeps spills at bay.

Included in this set was a packet of useful and tasty recipes!  Thanks, Simply Essentials!  Can’t wait to try out that cookie recipe.

Get ready to win your own mat and pan set!!

You can buy your own set HERE on Amazon for $34.99.  Save yourself the hassle of scrubbing, and pocket the money you’ve been spending on foil, parchment, and cooking sprays.

*This giveaway is open to US entries only
*The winner of this giveaway will be drawn no later than the evening of April 5th and will be emailed.  If the winner does not respond within 24 hours, a new winner will be drawn.
*The product(s) in this review was provided to me free of cost for the purpose of conducting this review.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own are not influenced by monetary compensation. 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 

Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Ozeri Green Earth Textured Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan {Review}

August 5, 2013 by 2 Comments
Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

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Did you know I’m a bird lover?  And does that make me homely?  I really love having parakeets as pets because of their beautiful colors, friendly demeanor, and low-maintenance care.  When we were first looking into getting a bird, I read a lot about how to care for them, and time and time again I read about how it is very important to not keep your bird in the kitchen because of chemicals that can be emitted from cooking spray and especially from non-stick pans.  Weird?  I had no idea that pans could give off harmful fumes that can be detrimental to humans and deathly for birds.  Since then, I’ve been interested in eco-friendly pans that are still easy to care for and affordable.

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I was very honored to be able to review the 10″ Ozeri Green Earth Textured Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan, especially because it is just what I had in mind as far as something green and budget-friendly.  It is 100% PTFE and PFOA free, and made in Germany.

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Read along with me: this pan has a ceramic coating instead of harmful heavy metal.  I think this pan has all the superior qualities of a pan of substantial weight, without being terribly heavy.  The beautiful green is scratch-resistant ceramic, and a friendly reminder that what I’m using is not going to harm me or my family.  It has a terrifically comfortable silicone handle and it can be induction stove safe.  I also think 10″ is just the perfect size for so many cooking needs.  It can hold just the right amount of food to feed a small family.

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Now let me tell you about this textured surface.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen and certainly never owned a pan with an elevated texture like this, so I was interested to see what kind of a difference it makes.  It actually creates air pockets underneath the food that allows air and heat to better surround the food and create an even distribution of heat.  The food cooks faster and more evenly, all without sticking or burning.  The food is unable to bond to the pan, which would only cause food to stick and melt on.  This also makes the pan easy to clean!  I rinsed this once under the sink and practically everything washed away.  I still ran it through the dishwasher (which can be done, though hand washing is preferred), and it came out as squeaky clean as fresh out of the box.

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The textured surface was also GREAT for cooking meat because it held the food up near the top of the pan while I scooped out the grease without the meat crumbles toppling down.  Very useful!  Look at that beautiful browning!  Everything looks cooked to the perfect degree without hot spots or pieces left undone.  I think I just found my favorite pan in the kitchen!

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You can purchase your own 10″ Ozeri Green Earth Textured Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan on Amazon HERE for $33.26.  This pan is also available in a 12-inch and 8-inch size.

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 I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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HIC Brands that Cook {Giveaway} – CLOSED

April 29, 2013 by
Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

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Every time we have company over from out of town, which ends up being much more often than I imagined, I make our guests a Boston Cream Pie.  Its so nice having a go-to dessert, and I’ve been intent on making it better every time.  Ladies and gentlemen, after two and a half years of Boston Cream Pies, this was my best one yet!  I had family in town to run the Boston Marathon (and yes, they were all ok, just having crossed the finish line four minutes before the explosions), and I was more than happy to make their visit complete with one of my pies.
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I owe all of my success to my new baking supplies from HIC Brands That Cook.  I was sent a Mrs. Anderson’s Cake Cutter, a Mrs. Anderson’s 8″ Springform Pan, and The World’s Greatest Stretch n’ Twist Silicone Bag Ties!
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These tools make cake making a breeze, and whole lot more fun.  Just call me silicone’s greatest fan, again, because these silicone bag ties are great.  Now I don’t have to save all the twisties from empty bread bags since these are reusable.  They are sure strong, and the friendly face on the end makes my ingredient bags happy :)  These would also be great to use on cords or bundles of odds and ends.  The seal is rather tight, but easy to undo.
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First I got to work on the yellow.  Baking in a springform pan is great–you don’t have to worry about how you’re going to dump out your hard work in a single piece with out sticking.  After the cake bakes, just unlatch the spring on the side, and the cake stays put on the center round while you lift off the sides.  As far as springform pans go, this one is top-notch.  The parts glide together and apart, it has a tight seal, and it is smooth and durable.
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After the cake cooled and I let it sit in the freezer for a while to stiffen up, I pulled out this cake cutter.  I worked for a summer as a cake decorator, and to make filled cakes, we had to first saw them in half, and mine never turned out quite even, as in the filling would end up higher on one side of the cake and lower on the other.  I still can’t slice a cake down the middle, even after that whole summer of practicing.  This cake cutter is heaven sent.  The wires are intensely strong, and adjustable so that you can move where you’d like your filling, and with two wires, you could make two slices and have a 5 layer cake.  Its a piece of cake, haha.
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After I spread the filling, I put the springform rim back on and set the whole ensemble in the freezer.  Having the sides back on was so helpful so that the filling wouldn’t smoosh out while it settled.  Once the cake was slightly frozen and I didn’t worry about it falling anymore, off came the springform rim, and I served the cake directly on the base.  This set-up was great!  For every future Boston Cream Pie, I will do exactly this!
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You too can make a cake to impress!  I am always pleased with HIC’s products, and I’m sure you will be too!

One lucky winner will receive these same baking supplies!  One cake cutter, a springform pan, and a package of twisty ties!

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Because I was sent the winner’s prize items along with my review items, the winner will be responsible for paying shipping from me to you, via paypal invoice.  This also means that this giveaway is open to WORLDWIDE entries!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*The winner will be responsible for paying shipping from me to you, via paypal invoice.  *This giveaway is open to WORLDWIDE entries.  *The winner of this giveaway will be drawn no later than the evening of May 9th and will be emailed.  If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn. *This posting and giveaway were sponsored by HIC, but all opinions are strictly my own

Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

HIC Oven–to-Table Transitionals {Review}

February 4, 2013 by 12 Comments
Disclosure: This could be a sponsored post or contain affiliate links (which means I earn a percentage of the sale), but all opinions are strictly my own.

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If you have been on a cruise recently, you probably know what I mean when I say, “chocolate melting cake”.  If you’re like us, and have tried for months and years to recreate that recipe without any luck, listen in!  We’ve found the perfect imitation recipe!  And I think the key difference in our success was cooking them in our new beautiful porcelain ramekins from HIC – Brands that Cook!

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When my husband came home and I pulled these out of the box, he exclaimed, “molten lava cake?!”.  Haha, indeed, we have an ultimate favorite dessert around here, and HIC just made our dessert dreams come true.  Previously, we’ve made our lava cakes in giant muffin tins, but methinks it doesn’t create an even cooking medium like porcelain ramekins.  Previously, we’ve had to dump out our cakes unless we all want to huddle around the ugly muffin tin.  Not so cool when we have guests over for dessert.

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These ramekins are just the ticket–they are just so pretty!  They are called Oven-to-Table Transitionals because, just like they say, they can go straight from the oven, to the table.  Aka, the cooking dish IS the serving dish, and the beautiful red high-fired scratch-free glaze makes it as lovely and appealing as the food inside.

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These ramekins are top quality!  They are solid, sturdy, and have a good weight.  The glaze is excellently finished, and the textured sides are great for handling.  They washed up as nice as new, and didn’t leave any stains or residue.  There are no rough places or paint imperfections, and the paint is so deep and vibrant!

These work great in a broiler or oven, and are dishwasher safe!  You can purchase them on Amazon HERE.

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I am always so impressed with all of Harold Import Company‘s products!  I’ve done several reviews for them, and every time, I am pleased, impressed, surprised, and excited to share my opinion.   They carry a number of brands in addition to their own, and their collection of kitchen equipment, tools, and supplies is quite impressive!  Go take a look at their other exciting products, and pick up some ramekins of your own!

Click here to find out where to buy HIC Porcelain

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*This posting was sponsored by HIC – Brands That Cook but all opinions are strictly my own

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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