Purex plus Oxi [Review & Giveaway]

Purex has come out with the latest formula to add to their line of laundry detergents. Purex plus Oxi is their most powerful detergent available to fight the toughest stains. It is formulated to work in both traditional and high inefficiency machines. Because it's from Purex, you know you won't have to break the bank to afford it. As a matter of fact, Purex is almost half the price of the leading brand! Purex plus Oxi has a light, fresh scent and is hypoallergenic. It can be used for everyday or heavily soiled loads.

Right now, Purex wants to give 1 lucky winner $1,000! There will also be 250 2nd place winners that will each win $25! All you have to do is sign up here for your chance to win. It takes as little as 20 seconds to enter!

How would you like to try out a bottle of Purex plus Oxi yourself? Three Momfiles readers will win one coupon each for a FREE bottle of Purex plus Oxi. Enter in the Rafflecopter widget below: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on November 3, 2012. Three winners will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck! 

I received products samples for review purposes and was supplied with FREE product coupons to give away. All thoughts/opinions are always my own.

Vollyeball, elections and cupcakes

I have to apologize for my lack of personal posts. My life has been consumed with obligations but most importantly, my family. The girls just finished up their volleyball season which allows me to have a little more free time. It was bittersweet for both girls. They did not win very many games but did play exceptionally well compared to the previous years. Chardie is an emotional wreck because her high school volleyball years are officially behind her. She wanted it all to be over, yet she will miss it. Brie had a hard time losing so many of their games but felt great winning the last game against their old coach. It was such a sweet victory for them. I have to say that Brie played amazingly all season long. She has so much talent and it was so cool seeing the two girls play together.

It is crazy that they girls are 16 and 18 now. Brie has outgrown all of us in height and is so mature. My baby girl has grown up and the next stop will be driving. She has not been very enthusiastic about driving like most teens would be, but she is ready now. It feels weird to say that I am mother to an adult child. The good thing is Chardie was in no rush to turn 18 and says she doesn't see what the big deal is. She will be voting in the election next month and is excited to do so. I still can't get over that! Speaking of election, I can't wait for it to be over! I know everyone has their views and opinions but social media makes you want to throw up with it in your face 24/7. I won't lie, I have had to unfollow and unfriend some people that got way too out of hand. Regardless of which way it goes there will continue to be unhappy people. I do have to say that this is the funniest thing I have seen all week!

I'm so sorry, I couldn't help myself!

Another thing that happened recently that has nothing to do with anything is I purchased some new kitchen gadgets. I have been baking and cooking since before I was a teenager and have never owned cake decoration supplies or cupcake transporters. How on earth do you have children in school for over a decade and not have anything to carry your cupcakes in? I have baked hundreds of cupcakes over the years and can't remember how I was sending them to school. I also have been wondering why I have never had icing bags with the piping tips. I am now officially obsessed with making pretty cupcakes. I do need to play around with the different tips to learn how to make more designs. I made this gorgeous cupcakes recently to sell at the girls' Dig Pink volleyball game to raise money for breast cancer.

They were white cake with homemade cream cheese frosting that I tinted to make pink. Pretty, huh? Speaking of baking, I am so excited about all the baking that will be going on in my kitchen over the course of the next few months. I have already made a wish list of some things I want to have to make my baking experiences better. Can't wait!

What's going on with you?

See how Green Giant Seasoned Steamers can perk up your meals (Review & Giveaway)

Green Giant has come out with a new line of vegetables that is a delicious and easy option for your family meals. Introducing, Green Giant Seasoned Steamers. Available in six different varieties, Green Giant Seasoned Steamers are one of the first sauce-free seasoned vegetables to bring unique chef-inspired seasonings and premium cut vegetable blends to your dining room table. 

These tasty Seasoned Steamers are bound to spice up any meal with six varieties including: Mediterranean Blend, Tuscan Seasoned Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts with Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper, Honey Roasted Sweet Corn, Honey Dijon Carrots and Backyard Grilled Potatoes.

My family tried out the Tuscan Seasoned Broccoli as a side dish and were quite impressed with the great flavor. I am the type of cook that regardless of if something is pre-seasoned, I still have to jazz it up. Not this time. The broccoli was perfectly seasoned. The bonus is the cooking part. All you do is pop the bag in the microwave and you're done! It's a great time saver. Click here for a money saving coupon for $1 off on a future purchase. 

How would you like to try out the new Green Giant Seasoned Steamers for yourself? One lucky Momfiles reader will win a prize pack including: (1) VIP coupon for one free package of Green Giant Seasoned Steamers™, (1) Apron, (1) Green Giant Serving Spoon and  (1) Mixing Bowl. Enter below: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on October 29, 2012. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

Disclosure: The coupons, information, and gift packs have been provided by Green Giant® through MyBlogSpark.

How I maximize my coffee budget and still have the perfect cup each day

I love a really good, rich cup of coffee. I only require one cup a day and I get tired of the same old brand sometimes. I am a coffee snob and stay away from the low-end bargain brands. They lack the strength and flavor I require.  The whole 'use a tablespoon per 6 ounces of water' is a joke. I am more of a use 1/2 cup per 6 ounces (no lie!) As much as I love the premium brands, I can't always justify the cost. I finally found a way to get around that and not sacrifice the quality or taste. Lately I have been shopping for premium, traditional ground coffee that is on sale and try to match it up with coupons. I also purchase an espresso ground coffee that I always find on sale at Publix. They tend to always have a brand for under $3. I usually buy Cafe Bustelo, Pilon or La Llave.

What I do is mix both varieties in my regular drip coffee maker. The fact that The espresso grind is more concentrated and rich, makes me have to use less of my more expensive premium coffee.

The result is a dark, strong and rich cup of coffee every time. I have been doing this for months and even my husband noticed how good our coffee is. We are so spoiled that we have to bring coffee from home when we travel. I totally recommend this method of coffee making for those who crave the richness of Starbucks but have Walmart pockets.

"Flavor It" Review & Giveaway

I am such a big fan of kitchen gadgets. I received a neat item from Primula Products called Flavor It Pitcher 3-in-1 Beverage System. You can make a wide variety of amazing infused beverages using just about any ingredient you want.  You can make fruit flavored teas, water, wine, even iced coffee! The only limit is your imagination!

The beverage system includes:

• Flavor Infuser - can be filled with fresh fruit, herbs, or spices to lend intriguing flavor notes to water, tea, punch, and more. Creating a multitude of beverage options from cucumber lime drinks to blueberry iced tea, to sangria and more. 
• Stainless Steel Tea Infuser - designed to brew loose tea or ground coffee, either hot or cold. The infuser's filter sits low in the pitcher, accommodating small quantities as well as a full pitcher. 
• Chill Core - filled with non-toxic gel, it is better than ice because it keeps the beverage cool without diluting the flavor.

I decided to test it out over the weekend and decided on fruit infused water. My daughters are big on fruit flavored water so we took a vote and went with peach and lime. I added slices of peaches and limes into the Flavor Infuser and added filtered water the pitcher.

I love the design of the pitcher because it fits perfectly in my fridge door. This frees up more space for bulky milk jugs and other drinks. I let the fruit infuse overnight and we all tasted the water. It was fantastic and very refreshing! I plan to make sangria this coming weekend and will use red wine with a mixture of fresh fruit. My 16 year old is looking forward to make some vanilla flavored iced coffee. I really love that you can tighten the lid to close it to reduce spills. The pitcher itself is BPA-free, dishwasher safe, scratch resistant, shatter proof and  stain resistant. 

The Flavor It Pitcher 3-in-1 Beverage System would make a great wedding, anniversary, hostess or holiday gift. Check out Primula Products on the web, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

How would you like to win one? One lucky Momfiles reader will win the Flavor It Pitcher 3-in-1 Beverage System. Enter in the Rafflecopter widget:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on October 25, 2012. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

I received a product sample for review purposes. All thoughts/opinions are 100% my own as always.

Perfect Roasted Potatoes

I discovered these wonderful potatoes that Publix carries called Potato Inspirations. I decided to try them out since they were on sale. They came in a few different varieties, but I decided to go with the Honey Gold. They are smaller than a golf balls. I remembered a recipe I saw Michael Symon make and thought I would try to replicate it. The only difference is he fried his potatoes in bacon fat instead of baking them. Yeah, I didn't have a half gallon of bacon fat laying around so I had to improvise!

Ingredients:
1 bag of Honey Gold Potato Inspiration potatoes or 2 pounds of very small potatoes of your choice.
a few tablespoons of olive oil
dry seasonings of your choice. I used sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley, Cajun seasoning and Badia Complete Seasoning which are my staples.

All you do is rinse and boil your potatoes (whole) in salted water until they are starting to get soft, but not cooked all the way, about 9-13 minutes. Drain potatoes and smash each one with just a little bit with the bottom of a cup or small plate. Toss smashed potatoes in olive oil and dry seasoning and roast in a 425 degree preheated oven for about 25 minutes. They come out slightly crisp on the outside and super buttery and creamy on the inside. I baked mine on the Silpat mat so they did not stick or brown unevenly.

What a wonderful side dish this is! I am going to try it next time using two different types of potatoes. I might make them for Thanksgiving too. They are so easy and delicious!

This was NOT a sponsored post :)