A Few of My Favorite Things Giveaway!!!

Since I have hit several major milestones on this little ol' blog I thought I should give away some of my favorite things. I am over 1600 "likes" on Facebook, 2200 followers on Pinterest, and almost a 1000 friends on Google Friend Connect.

You guys are amazing and I am so thankful for all you that come over everyday and read what I write and make my recipes.

I totally love it!

Plus have you noticed that I started a new way to see what I'm doing all day long!!?? Not that what I do is all that exciting but I would love for you to come follow me on Instagram. It's a party over there.

Here is what you can win:
1. A homemade apron (yep my mom made it and she is awesome at sewing and quilting and baking and cooking, umm...you get the idea!)
2. Pie Server--we make a lot of pies around this place and I couldn't do without mine.
3. Vanilla sugar. Ashton introduced this to me and has changed my life ever since.
4. Cake tester--this comes in so handy in checking so many things I am baking.
5. Mini Serving Spatula--this beauty is hands down #1 in my kitchen. I can't live without this thing.
6. Sprinkles--makes everything so much more fun.
7. Cupcake Liners--I LOVE my collection of cupcake liners. Makes me smile everyday to look at them.

8. Silpat 1/2 size baking mat--I use my silpat or silpain at least once a day. They are amazing. My life is so much better for this baby right here!

Thanks again for all your support!

Giveaway open only to U.S. residents. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Apple Crumb Pie and a GIVEAWAY!!

 Welcome to PIE WEEK.

 I’m joining TidyMom and Whirlpool for the 4th Annual Love the Pie Party. You can too. Enter a pie to win a new Whirlpool Gold® Induction Range.

I decided that since pies are my favorite part of Thanksgiving I would devote an entire week to them.  I always have a list of new pies I want to try and now is a perfect time to share my favorites.

I LOVE apple pies.  And I love to try to new ways to eat them.  I have seen several recipes floating around with crumb toppings and finally decided on this beauty.  I love the crunchiness the crumb topping gives it, which pairs perfectly with the soft apples.  Definitely an add on to your Thanksgiving menu.

And to kick off PIE WEEK I am doing a giveaway.

Have you ever heard of FLIPZLES.

My sister introduced me to them and they are fabulous.  "They are a two sided, wooden children's puzzle. The house puzzle has 23 wooden pieces is printed on both sides. The front shows pieces of the exterior of the house while the flip sides are pieces of a house play set. The pieces stand alone and include members of the family - from grandma to baby, pets, furniture and household objects. There is even a rocking horse that really rocks! It also comes in a zip-and-take carrying case that keeps the pieces together and makes storage and travel convenient."
(taken from Flipzles.com)

My kids love puzzles and this is a perfect gift for a child in your family.  Vicki (the creator--who does all the work behind Flipzles from the painting to designing to manufacturing and is a stay-at-home  mom on top of it all) is going to giveaway 1 free house flipzle to one of my readers.

Mandatory entry: visit the Flipzle's website and tell me which flipzle is your favorite.

Extra entries:

1.  Follow me on GFC (if you already do, just let me know)

2. Like my FB page (if you already do, just let me know)

3. Like the Flipzle FB page.

4. FB, blog, or tweet about this giveaway (please leave the link so I can check it out).

Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

Giveaway ends November 16th at midnight (MST) and winner will be chosen via random.org.  Giveaway open to all US residents.

Now onto the pie.

Apple Crumb Pie

(click here for printable version)

Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
5 tbsp cold butter, cut into chunks

Crust:
1 1/3 cups flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into chunks
4-5 tbsp ice water

Filling:
7 large apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
pinch of salt

1.  Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9 inch pie with non stick cooking spray and set aside.

2. To make the topping, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is crumbly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

3. To make the crust, pulse flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor until combined (you can do this with a pastry blender and a bowl but the food processor makes it so much easier and a nicer crust). Add butter chunks and pulse just until butter is in pea-sized clumps. Slowly add cold water and run food processor just until dough comes together in one ball. Place dough on a well-floured surface and roll into a large circle, big enough to fit your pie pan. Gently lift dough and place in your prepared pie pan. Carefully press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Fold any dough that hangs over the edge under itself and crimp however you would like it.

4. To make the filling, combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to coat. Spoon filling into prepared crust, top with crumb topping, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 50-60 minutes and the whole pie is golden brown. Remove pie from oven and allow to cool 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Source: Lulu the Baker

15 Delicious Pumpkin Recipes and a GIVEAWAY!!

  I have been cooking up a storm at my house.  How about you?

Now that it's chilly in the mornings and evenings I am pulling out all my soup recipes, making pies (I think I've already made 8 so far), and pretty much anything that has pumpkin.

Pumpkin is one of my all-time favorites.  I absolutely love it.  So I thought I would share with you some of my past favorite recipes.

 1. Pumpkins Cookies with Maple Frosting--what a delicious combination.

2.  Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie--perfect for Thanksgiving.

3.  Gingerbread Pumpkin Trifle--because everything is better in a trifle dish.

4.  Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins--what a delicious surprise in the middle.

 5. Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread--it will make you smile all day long--recipe coming soon.

6. Cheesecake Caramel Pumpkin Cups--you know it tastes way better in mini form.

7. Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting--oh my, oh my, oh my.

8. Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles--cream cheese seems to be coming up quite often.

9. Pumpkin Dip--perfect appetizer for a fall party.

10.  Pumpkin Hot Chocolate--with lots of whip cream please.

11.  Pumpkin Pie Bars--I could seriously eat these all day long.

12. Gingerbread Pumpkin Waffles--#1 recipe on this little blog, it's pretty amazing!

13.  Pumpkin Pull-Apart Bread with Buttered Vanilla Glaze--one of my absolute favorites.

14.  Pumpkin Pie Smoothies--because you always need a pumpkin pie in drink form--recipe coming soon.

Hope you can find something you like and now onto another one of my favorite things.

Shabby Apple

Have you checked them out?  I love their stuff.  These are a few of my favorites:

Lagoon Swimsuit

 Humbodlt Current Skirt

 Crosswalk Skirt

The White Queen

I am giving away a $50 gift card to Shabby Apple.  Yeah!!!

Please leave a SEPARATE comment for each item that you do.

1.  Mandatory entry:  Visit Shabby Apple and leave a comment telling what your favorite item is.

Extra entries:

2.  Follow me on GFC (and leave a comment).

3.  Like my FB page (and leave a comment).

4.  Like Shabby Apple's FB page (and leave a comment).

Remember please to leave a SEPARATE comments for each item that you completed.

Details: Giveaway ends October 11th at midnight!!  Giveaway open to US residents and winner will be announced no later than October 12th.  Winner picked via Random. org.

Good Luck :)

Chocolate Cake and a GIVEAWAY

I am excited to share this recipe with you today.

I don't know about you and your family but I worry about giving my kids too much sugar, which doesn't mean I am opposed to it but I don't think they need gobs of candy bars, pop, and desserts all the time.

It might seem like we are always eating desserts over here because I post a lot of those kinds of recipes but we try to share them with lots of people so we are not eating the whole thing.  Anyway...back to this healthy cake.

We do try to eat fairly healthy over here.  We hardly ever eat fast food, I make whole wheat bread for us, I add wheat flour to many food items, I put flax seeds in almost everything I make, and make pretty much everything from scratch.  My motto is "Moderation in All Things".

Many times I hesitate to make desserts healthy because I am scarred about substituting "healthy" things in them and wasting all those ingredients.  So when Kate from Modern Alternative Mama contacted me about her e-book "Treat Yourself" I was very excited to check out some of her recipes.  They are all healthy recipes but in treat form, perfect for this family.
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The first one I tried was this Chocolate Cake.  I was so pleasantly surprised with how it turned out.  The texture is a little different but my kids gobbled it right up and didn't even notice that is was suppose to be "healthy".  I love that it tastes like a chocolate cake, a real delicious, sweet chocolate cake.  I am all about the chocolate and let's face it peeps, if I am going to eat something it better taste good even if it is suppose to be good for me!

Kate has agreed to give away one free e-book to one of my readers and here's how you can enter:

(and please leave separate comments for each item that you did)

1.  Check out the table of contents and tell me which recipe you would try first.

2.  Like me on Facebook (or let me know that you already do).

3.  Like Modern Alternative Mama on Facebook.

Giveaway ends Dec. 19th at midnight!

For those of you that don't win you can buy your own book.  Go here and enter "FARM25" for 25% off your order.  Thanks Kate!

And here's the recipe for this fabulous healthy cake.

Chocolate Cake

(click here for printable version)

Cake:

2 cup sprouted flour (this is a great tutorial on making your own sprouted flour)

1⁄2 cup cacao powder 

1 1⁄4 tsp baking soda 

1⁄2 tsp sea salt

1⁄2 cup butter, melted 

1⁄4 cup + 2 Tbsp maple syrup 

1⁄4 cup honey 

2 eggs 

1 tsp vanilla 

3⁄4 cup buttermilk

Whipping Cream:

2 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  In a medium bowl combine flour, cacao powder, baking soda, and sea salt.  Set aside.

2.  In another medium bowl mix melted butter, maple syrup, honey, eggs, and vanilla,  Whisk until completely combined.  Slowly add flour mixture with buttermilk and fold together until just barely wet.

3.  Grease and dust 8" round pans with cacao powder.  Divide cake mixture evenly between pans and smooth the tops.  Bake for 18-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes before inverting on cooling rack and letting cool completely.

4.  To make whipping cream combine cream, maple syrup, and vanilla in large bowl until soft peaks form.  To assemble the cake place one round on serving platter and top with half the whip cream.  Place second round on top of whip cream and add rest of whip cream.  Chill until ready to serve.  Enjoy!

We have winners....

Just wanted to let you know that we have winners.  It's #11 Barbara who said, "I like you on facebook!"

and

#12 Hillary Gadd who said, "I follow your blog. I now follow Dandelion Strings, and I like you on Facebook. Booyah."

Congratulations!! 

Email me at thefarmgirlrecipes@gmail.com with your info so I can get you some aprons.

A Fun Giveaway!! (Now Closed)

 Are you an apron person?

I'm not.  GASP!  I know, I know, but I am trying really hard to be especially because I keep ruining my clothes, which just ticks me off even more.  You would think I would learn faster but alas I just don't remember all the time, which means grease spattered clothes.

But this guy that's a different story.

 I think I have shared with you how much my youngest loves to cook and bake.  He is always helping me in the kitchen and his favorite game to play is "cooking".  He makes the food (for pretend in case you were wondering) and then he brings it to me to eat.  I love how his face lights up when he is telling me what he has made.

Here he is cooking "heart pizza".  He is good and always wears his apron, which he loves, and I love it because it is manly, very well made, and so cute.  

And guess who made it for him?

Grandma!  

My mom loves to sew and is always making wonderful creations for the grandkids and friends.  She quite good too (I know I'm a little biased but hey...it's my mom and well...it's the truth!)

Many people ask her where they can get her creations but she hasn't ever sold them before.  Well now your in luck.  My mom and my sister have teamed up and created a new business.  It's called:

This is how it works, they post one product at a time and supplies are limited. Once gone, a new product will be posted so please check back often.  They will all be homemade and will vary from aprons to owls to jackets to bags.

I think it's a fabulous idea and to help them start they are giving away 2 aprons to my readers.  They look like this one that's on my adorable nephew.

I promise your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews (really whoever) will love it!

To enter this giveaway:

1.  Be a follower of my blog and go visit their blog and sign up for their email.  That way you will always know when a new product is out.

2.  Be a follower of my blog and blog, twitter or facebook about this giveaway.  Make sure you leave a link.

3.  Be a follower of my blog and "like" my facebook page.

4.  Share with your friends my mom and sister's new blog.  Leave a link.

Please leave separate comments for each item that you did.  Thanks!

Winner will be chosen by a random number generator and this giveaway will close Monday, July 18th at midnight.

And the Winner Is.......

#35 Sue who said: "I am a follower already, and I am going to plant a garden this spring:)"

Congrats Sue!! (Check your email :)

Hope you love the muffin cups and good luck with your garden.  I can't wait to plant mine too!

A Giveaway!!!

Spring is in the air!!!

At least I feel like it should be after my vacation last week.  I was hoping to lay on the beach, soak in some rays, get a tan, read a book, but NOPE!  It was windy and mid 60's the entire cruise.  We were in pants and jackets every day.

Now don't get me wrong, at least it was warmer than the blizzard we missed at home but I am missing Spring and am ready to have it back.  Anything with bright colors just speaks to me right now so let me share some yummy things from my cruise and a giveaway!!

 This Strawberry Bisque soup was TO DIE FOR!!  I am so serious...I ate it for an appetizer and for a dessert.  I have got to find a recipe because it was heaven in a bowl.

I also tried a Roasted Pureed Pumpkin Soup that was very good too.  That one is also on my list of "recipes to find".

In Mexico we got to have authentic chicken enchiladas and they sure hit the spot.  Pure yumminess!

 And the rest of these pictures are just for eye candy.  The favorite thing we did was race ATV's on the beach in Mexico--yes the ladies were awesome at it!

 The sunset.

And I had so much fun with this guy!!

Thanks for sticking around so now on to the giveaway.  When I saw these little ladies in Vegas on our way back I knew I wanted to share.  They are bright, very Springish, and doesn't everyone love M & M's?  I didn't know I did until I went in their store.  I'm serious, if you go into that store you will come out wishing you could buy everything in there.  So if you want to have these beauties...

1.  Be a follower and leave a comment telling me what you are going to do when it's Spring at your house (if it's already Spring--I am so jealous--tell me what you did).  All in one comment.

And for another entry

2. Share this giveway and let me know how you did it (ie, facebook, twitter, blog, etc.).

That's all, you have until midnight on Friday, March 4th to enter.

THE WINNER IS....

Thanks everyone for visiting, I sure appreciate your comments, feedback and trying out my recipes.

And without further ado, the winner is:

#18 Aubrey!!!
CONGRATULATIONS

GIVEAWAY!!

So in honor of 2000 hits and a new button I am giving away one of my favorite things to cook with.  I love stoneware and use it constantly.  It makes everything cook so even, with crispy crusts and soft centers.  I currently own 7 pieces of stoneware and use them all.  I reccomend getting a nice stone, the cheaper ones tend to not cook as even and will make you not happy with your purchase.  It is worth it to save up.  I use Pampered Chef mostly because I use to sell with them and I have tried their stones over and over and have been so happy with them.  

This is a large bar pan from Pampered Chef.  To enter you can:

1.  Leave a comment telling me what you would cook with it.

2.  Be a follower (if you already are just say so in your comment)

3.  Put my button on your blog.

4.  Blog, facebook, or tweet this giveaway.

Make sure you leave separate comments for each entry.  Giveaway ends May 22nd at midnight and it a winner will be chosen via a random number generator. Good luck!

Our First Giveaway!!!

YEAH!!!

So I decided that I wanted to share some of my favorite tools with you.  I am giving away a medium and large scoop.  You have until Oct. 31st at 5 pm to enter.  You can enter 3 ways:

1.  Leave a comment telling me your favorite kitchen tool.

2.  Become a follower.

3.  Let other people know about it on your favorite way to communicate (blog, twitter, email, etc.) and leave a link in your comment.

* Make sure you leave a seperate comment for each entry plus your email so I can get a hold of you*

*Winner will be picked by random number generator on random.org*

And the WINNER is:
#2 McClains
Thanks everyone for entering!!!  Happy Halloween :)