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Saturday, September 27, 2014

Snickers Bar Cookie Recipe


Ingredients:


  • large
     eggs
  • cup sugar
  • cup brown sugar
  • cup butter
  • cup peanut butter
  • teaspoons vanilla
  • cups flour
  • teaspoon baking powder
  • teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 20 Snickers miniature candy bars, unwrapped

Directions:

  1. 1
    In large bowl, combine sugars, butter, peanut butter, vanilla and eggs.
  2. 2
    Beat well.
  3. 3
    Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  4. 4
    Mix well.
  5. 5
    Shape about 1/4 cup of dough smoothly around candy bar making sure bar is completely covered.
  6. 6
    Place 4 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
  7. 7
    Bake at 375°F for 13-14 minutes or until light golden brown and puffy.
  8. 8
    Cool 10 minutes and remove from cookie sheets.
  9. 9
    Makes 20 HUGE cookies

Almond Joy Fudge Brownie Recipe

Ingredients:


  • 1
     (19 7/8 ounce)
     box Duncan Hines chewy fudge brownie mix
  • tablespoons vegetable oil
  • cup Eagle Brand Condensed Milk
  • 1 (14 ounce) package miniature Almond Joy bars, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup toasted almond

Directions:


  1. 1
    Prepare mix according to brownie package directions, except only use 3 tablespoons
  2. 2
    of vegetable oil.
  3. 3
    Pour into a greased 9 x 13" pan.
  4. 4
    Pour and spread 1 cup of condensed milk.
  5. 5
    Sprinkle with chopped candy bars and toasted almonds.
  6. 6
    Bake at 350 for 35-38 minutes.
  7. 7
    Let cool completely before cutting into 2 dozen bars.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Vehicle Review: 2014 Mazda MX-5 Grand Touring

Take a look at the 2014 Mazda MX-5! This was my first sports car and also my first convertible to review! I took my review car up to Northern California for a week and drove over 1,200 miles! Let's check out some of the great places I went to visit and of course learn more about the car itself! Let's jump into the review!
All ready to hit the road and make the drive up the I-5 to Sacramento! I love the big 17" alloy wheels!
Time to drive but first let me take a selfie! Yes, I am parked and not driving! Safety first!
But before I get too carried away with my trip, let's take a look at the 2014 Mazda MX-5 itself! The smooth lines are impossible to ignore! That huge "smile" of the grill is like the MX-5 is telling you it is happy to be driven! The car says sports car, speed and sexy without even saying a single word! There is more than enough horsepower to zip around traffic with the greatest of ease. Plus I was surprised by the gas mileage. A full tank got about 300 miles. It was easy to want to drive everywhere on my trip and I did!
Brilliantly bright xenon headlights and fog lights throw more than enough light to light up the night!
The cabin actually has a lot of room and the layout is simple enough. The steering wheel has both cruise and audio controls. It was cool to see a 6-disc CD changer even though I mostly made use of the Sirius Satellite Radio!  
This is part of a 7 speaker Bose system provide for incredible surround sound as you drive with the top up or down! I was surprised by the audio quality with the top down and driving on the Southern California freeways!
The seats are tight and almost body forming. They hold you well as you drive and take sharp turns. I was very comfortable during my 6 hour drive from Southern California to Northern California.

And taking the top down is a simple one touch button system! I can't tell you how great it was to drive with the top down and have the wind in my hair!
The smooth lines continue to the back of the MX-5.
As to be expected not a whole lot of trunk space here! But I easily fit my suitcase and several other items back here for my trip!
I took the MX-5 to visit this replica of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. The travel stories that these two could share.
I also took the MX-5 to the oldest operating McDonald's in the United States. You will find this in Downey, California. This location has a great museum and they still make the fried apple pies and not the baked ones!
Love the look of the oldest operating McDonald's with the smooth lines of the Mazda MX-5!
On the way up to Sacramento I took advantage of one of the vista points along the I-5! Such great lighting and scenery along the way!
As you head up or down the I-5 stop in Kettleman City and go to Bravo Farms! A great stop for BBQ, or ice cream, or wine tasting, plus they have a play area and a shooting gallery!
If you stop here make sure you pick up a glass bottle of root beer milk! Yes, root beer milk! It tastes like a root beer float! So good! I stopped here on my way up north and on my way back down south! And you know I bought root beer milk each time!
Another vista point with a great view of some of the central valley's farmland.
Sacramento is not only the home of my mom and dad but also a cool relocated Disney landmark! These are the old California letters that once stood in front of the entrance to Disney California Adventure! They are now in front of Cal Expo, home to the California State Fair!
Finishing up the review with a few more photos of the Sacramento River. With the sun going down on my last day of my trip, it was fitting to get these photos of the Mazda MX-5.
The 2014 Mazda MX-5 Grand Touring is the perfect car for those that are single, couples without children or adults with kids out of the house. The car is sleek and demands attention.

The Grand touring that I reviewed came in at $32,735.00. It comes with a 36 month/36,000 mile 'bumper to bumper' warranty, a 60 month/60,000 mile powertrain warranty, and 24 hour roadside assistance.

I loved driving this car! It was sad to return the MX-5. The car just begs to be taken out on the open road!


*Disclaimer: The vehicle was provided for a week to review and the review is strictly my own opinion.*

Disney's Big Hero 6 - Official US Trailer 2

Watch Baymax, Hiro, and the rest of the Big Hero 6 suit up in the brand new trailer. 

Disney's Big Hero 6 opens in theatres in 3D November 7, 2014.


Like Big Hero 6 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyBigHero6

Follow Big Hero 6 on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DisneyAnimation

Follow Disney Animation on Tumblr:
http://disneyanimation.tumblr.com

Official Site: http://movies.disney.com/big-hero-6

"Big Hero 6" is a heartfelt comedy adventure about robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who learns to harness his genius—thanks to his brilliant brother Tadashi and their like-minded friends: adrenaline junkie Go Go Tamago, clean freak Wasabi No-Ginger, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to his closest companion—a cutting-edge robot named Baymax—and transforms the group into a band of high-tech heroes determined to solve the mystery. Inspired by the Marvel comics of the same name, and featuring comic-book style action and all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, "Big Hero 6" is directed by Don Hall ("Winnie the Pooh") and Chris Williams ("Bolt"), and produced by Roy Conli ("Tangled"). The film hits theaters in 3D on November 7, 2014.

Watch a Brand New Clip from Alexander, and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day - In Theaters October 10!

Disney's Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day comes to theaters Oct. 10, 2014!

Disney's "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" follows 11-year-old Alexander (Ed Oxenbould) as he experiences the most terrible and horrible day of his young life—and soon learns that he's not alone when his mom (Jennifer Garner), dad (Steve Carell), brother (Dylan Minnette) and sister (Kerris Dorsey) all find themselves living through their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Giveaway: Zero Popcorn Bucket from Disneyland

Win this awesome Zero popcorn bucket from Disneyland! Zero's nose lights up and popcorn is not included!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Milky Way Brownies Recipe


Ingredients:


  • 1
     (18 1/4 ounce)
     package German chocolate cake mix
  • 3/4 cup butter, melted
  • 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 (13 ounce) bag Milky Way miniature candy bars, chopped

Directions:

  1. 1
    Preheat oven to 350.
  2. 2
    Mix cake mix, butter and sweetened condensed milk together. In 9 X 13 pan spread 1/2 of the mixture.
  3. 3
    Bake for 10 minutes.
  4. 4
    Remove from oven and sprinkle chopped Milky Ways on top. Take the remaining mix and drop randomly over Milky Ways. You do not need to smooth it out.
  5. 5
    Bake for another 20 minutes.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Twix N Banana Muffins Recipe


Ingredients:


  • large
     bananas
  • egg
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • teaspoon baking soda
  • teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • Twix candy bar

Directions:

  1. 1
    Preheat oven to 350 farenheit.
  2. 2
    In a bowl, combine the egg, bananas, oil and sugar and mash it all up.
  3. 3
    In another bowl, combine the baking powder, baking soda, salt, & flour.
  4. 4
    Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix till just combined.
  5. 5
    One packet of Twix contains 2 sticks of chocolate. You will need 2 packets for this recipe.
  6. 6
    Crumble up 3 sticks of Twix and lightly fold into the batter. Spoon into WELL GREASED muffin cups. With the remaining one stick of Twix, crumble it and sprinkle on the tops of the unbaked muffins. Bake for around 20 mins or till a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  7. 7
    Let it stay in the muffin pan for 5 mins and then remove them and allow them to cool.

Craft Time: Jack Skellington Halloween String Garland


What You'll Need
White cotton string
Black felt
Water balloons
Liquid fabric starch
Regular paper or cardstock
Scissors
How To Make It
  • 1
    Blow up your water balloons so they are about 4 inches wide and tie off the ends.
  • 2
    Cut the white cotton string into long lengths, about 5 feet long. You can always cut more.
  • 3
    Print the template then cut out the eyes, nose, and mouth and trace them onto the black felt. Cut out the pieces. You will need a pair of eyes, a nose, and a mouth for each Jack Skellington string ball you wish to make.
  • 4

    Pour liquid starch into a bowl. Place your balloon into the bowl. Dip the ends of your 5 foot white string into the bowl and wrap the string around your balloon, soaking the string in the starch before you wrap. Add more lengths of white string. Once the balloon resembles a very messy spider web, hang the balloon up to dry. Place paper towels or craft paper under the balloons as they will drip.
  • 5

    Cut a piece of string about a foot long and tie one end to the end of the balloon. (You will use this string to hang your balloon so it can dry).
  • 6

    Repeat this process with each Jack Skellington String Ball you wish to add to your garland.
  • 7
    Once all the string balls are dry, pop the balloons and pull them out through a gap in the string. Glue on a pair of eyes, a mouth, and a nose to each string ball. Tie them to a long ribbon, yarn, or string garland, evenly spacing them. Cut off extra string after you have tied them into place.

Almond Joy Brownies Recipe

Ingredients:


  • ounces
     almond joy candy bars (4 whole regular sized candy bars or 8 miniature candy bars)
  • 1/2 cup butter (I prefer butter, but original recipe called for shortening) or 1/2 cup shortening (I prefer butter, but original recipe called for shortening)
  • cup sugar
  • teaspoon vanilla
  • eggs
  • cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped almonds
  • Directions:

    1. 1
      Heat oven to 350°F.
    2. 2
      Grease 9-inch square pan.
    3. 3
      In medium saucepan over low heat, melt candy bars and shortening, stirring occasionally until chocolate and shortening are melted.
    4. 4
      Add sugar and vanilla; blend well.
    5. 5
      Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
    6. 6
      Stir in flour, salt and chopped almonds; mix well.
    7. 7
      Spread in greased pan.
    8. 8
      Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in center.
    9. 9
      Cool completely; cut into bars.

Awesome Pumpkin Carving Creations at Disneyland for HalloweenTime 2014!

It's Halloween Time at Disneyland! If you head to the park make sure you check out the Big Thunder Ranch and see this awesome display of pumpkin carving!
Feel free to talk to the pumpkin carvers. They are happy to answer all of your questions about what they are doing and how they do what they do!
This awesome Small World pumpkin really caught my eye!
It's Vanellope from Wreck-It Ralph!
This Minnie pumpkin is adorable!
I love this hatbox ghost pumpkin! Look at all the detail!
Well, well, this Maleficent pumpkin is pretty fantastic!
Sisterly love!
Tink looks fabulous here!
Who are you?
Looks like Jack is making Christmas again!
Scar is planning something evil I am sure of it!
I AM GROOT!
Flik is playing peek a boo with us!
We will end our tour here with this lovely Haunted Mansion wallpaper design.

Hope you enjoyed taking a look at some of these awesome pumpkin designs at Disneyland!

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Craft Time: Vampie Mickey Mouse Pumpkin Carving Template!


What You'll Need
Pumpkin
Pumpkin carving kit
Regular paper
Water-based marker (optional)
Paper towel
Transparent tape
What To Do
  • 1
    There are two ways to transfer your design onto the pumpkin. One is to copy it freehand onto a clean, dry pumpkin with a water-based marker (mistakes can be easily corrected with a paper towel). The other is to tape your template to the pumpkin, then score the design into the skin by poking holes through the template with a nail or plastic poking tool (available in some pumpkin-carving kits).
  • 2
    Carve by starting at the center of your design and working outward (this avoids putting pressure on areas already carved). Begin with the innermost and smallest details. As each shape loosens up, gently push it out of the pumpkin with a finger or a dull pencil point (a good job for young kids). Tip: If you cut something you didn't intend to, perform an ad hoc pumpkin surgery: Stick a toothpick through the flesh side of the piece and fit it back into place.
  • 3
    Lastly, put your jack-o'-lantern in a place of honor (away from flammables), and remember to blow out all candles before you go to sleep.