Monsters University Giveaway

What did you dream about being when you were little?
A ballerina?
A teacher?
A rock star?
A rocket scientist?

Or maybe...
A Scarer.

What did you dream about being when you got a little older?
Was it the same or did it change a bit?

Having dreams is a wonderful thing. Dreams can drive, motivate, and fulfill us.

Dreams can be big. They can be small. They can seem impossible. Yet they can be crazy possible. They can be simple.

Whatever our dreams may be, they are ours.

In Monsters University, Mike Wazowski's lifelong dream is to be a Scarer for Monsters, Inc. A dream that starts when he is young and drives him his whole life and leads him to Monsters University.

Mike eventually finds, that sometimes our dreams turn our to be a little different than we expected. However, he finds that there is one important thing that can drive the dream, even if it changes. Simply, it is our belief and self-confidence in our ability and strengths.

Can I just tell you how much I love, love, LUH-VE this movie?

Well I love it a whole lot. I love the message it represents. This movie is all about believing in yourself, persevering, and never giving up. When you believe in yourself, than others will too.

My Little Men love this movie as much as I do. I hope that they take to heart the movie's message as well.

Dream big.
Work hard.
Believe.

I asked at the beginning of this post if there was anything that you wanted to be when you grew up.
Well, if you were like me, you probably had several dreams through out your childhood...heck you probably had several through out your life up to this point.

When I was younger I can remember wanting to be two things--

1. a famous pop star
2. a mom

I would day dream about the first, and pretend to be the later.

As I grew older, the famous pop star dream kind of faded. I won't say I crossed it off completely, but it didn't hold as much interest for me.

However, I held fast to my dream to be a mom and then added a few other dreams to the list.

1. mom
2. teacher
3. party planner
4. author

I planned, practiced and imagined these roles. To be truthful, my primary goal was always my driving force. My desire to be a mom influenced my decisions, altered plans, and drove me on a daily basis.

Now here I sit, a marriage and four kids later. I have been a mom for almost ten years. TEN!

The reality is better than the dream...it is WAY harder than the dream, but the pay out is WAY better. I have sacrificed a bit maybe even smaller dreams, but nothing sacrificed compares with living my main dream.

Plus, I have found a way to incorporate some of those other minor dreams into my role as Mom.

I teach.
I write.
AND...
occasionally I party plan...

Look for my Five Simple Tips

for creating a fast and easy party table coming soon. 

Most recently I planned this little movie preview party for my Little Men and a few friends.

 

 They all gathered together and soaked in Monsters University. I watched them soak it all in.

I watched and wondered if I knew what my boys' dreams were. I wondered if I had been supporting them in their dreams. If I had encouraged them to believe in themselves. If they knew how much I believed in them.

I hoped that they thought their dreams were possible. I watched them and hoped that I had given them the tools to be self-confident.

Mostly, I sat in awe and thought of all their possibilities.

So what are some of their dreams...

Have you felt all the warm and fuzzies this movie has evoked?

Are you as excited as we are for the release of Monsters University?

Own It First On Digital HD on 10/8.

Or get the Blu-ray Combo Pack on 10/29.

OR...

You can enter the sweepstakes to win your very own 

Monsters University Blu-ray Combo Pack. 

WAIT! That isn't all though. You can also enter to win the sweepstakes

for a $50 Visa gift card.

All you need to do is leave me a comment telling me, 

How you believed in yourself and achieved a dream?

This sweepstakes runs through 10/13.

Good Luck Friends! 

Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) 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”
c) 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
d) 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. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 10/3/13 – 11/3/13.
Be sure to visit the Monsters University Page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

Apple Week: The Perfect Apple Crisp

 

Apple Week day two!

Did you know that some apples are better for certain things than others?

Some apples are better for baking and cooking. Some are better for applesauce. Some are the yummiest for eating. 

For example, Granny Smith are better for baking and cooking. McIntosh are good for sauce. Honeycrisp are the yummiest (by the way that is not just me saying that, I read that).

Then there is the saddest apple. Poor apple was ranked the lowest and/or worst for everything...including eating.

Poor little apple.

Poor, poor Red Delicious.

It would seem no one likes you for anything. Seriously, they were rated the worst for everything. 

Unfortunately for you Red Delicious, you are not really my favorite either.

Do you like Red Delicious? What apples do you like to use? What is your favorite apple to eat? 

I actually used golden delicious apples in the recipe I am sharing today.

When I think of Fall apple desserts, one of the first things that comes to mind is Apple Crisp. I have been on the search for a go-to Apple Crisp recipe for a couple of years.

A recipe with the right amount of apples and cinnamon. A recipe with the best ratio of crumb/crisp topping. Since the crisp part is my favorite part of the Apple Crisp, this part is kind of a big deal to me.

Aaaaannnnnd...

I found the elusive recipe. 

So exciting! The search is over.

I present The Perfect Apple Crisp.

The Perfect Apple Crisp

3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 Tablespoons
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
1 cup rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
4-6 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2" cubes
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, salt, and 2 Tablespoons of sugar.

Cut butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add in the oats and mix everything together with your hands, squeezing and squishing it until it is mixed and clumps form. Put mixture in freezer while you prepare the apples.

In another bowl, toss the apples lemons juice, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup sugar.

Transfer apples to a 2-quart dish. Sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake 55-65 minutes, until golden and bubbling.

Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

Serve warm over vanilla ice cream.

recipe from Martha Stewart

Tomorrow there is a little break in Apple Week for a

fun little giveaway.

Come and see what you can enter to win...

Back to apple business on Friday!!

Linking here:
The 36th Avenue, 

Apple Week: Dutch Apple Pie Pancakes

Welcome to Apple Week here on Just Another Day in Paradise. All week long I am going to be sharing some apple goodness.

It really isn't a secret that I love Fall.

One of my favorite things to do in the Fall is pick apples. The last few years we have not picked apples. Say what?!?

Sniff. Sad. Right?

When we lived in Ohio, we had an orchard we went to every year. Without fail, I tell you. We loaded the kids in the Mini and headed out ready to pick a trunk full of honeycrisp apples (those are our very favorite). We may have eaten our fair share fresh off the tree as well.

I love seeing my Little Men's squishy faces all covered with fresh apple due to scarfing down of one apple after another.

The last two Falls have been a little less spectacular in the absence of apple picking.

Good news is this year Fall gets to be just as spectacular as is used to be.

WE PICKED APPLES!

Technically, we picked, and we picked again, and we picked some more. I currently have a kitchen full of apples. I have been canning, baking, cooking, and projecting it up.

Hence the fruition (hehehe...fruit...apples are fruit...is it not funny if I have to explain it?) of Apple Week.

Let the apple wonderfulness begin!! Huzzah! 

I am kind of geeking out about what I am sharing with you guys today.

One of my favorite apple desserts is Dutch Apple Pie. Kind of love it. Love it a whole lot.

Now I could just make myself a pie, or I could just make myself breakfast that resembles a pie. That way I feel a whole lot better, because I can tell myself it is breakfast and not dessert. You know because breakfast is always healthy...

So that is what I did. I made myself a glorious plate of Dutch Apple Pie Pancakes.

Guys.
Guys.
Seriously.

So good. Well hello morning, it is nice to see you. Thanks for bringing your friend along. 

Any Fall leisurely morning should really be started by the devouring of these pancakes. Just a friendly suggestion, but I am pretty sure you will thank me. All those gathered round your breakfast table will thank me.

No, no, don't send a thank you note...that is just silly.

I mean, it is thanks enough that you stuff your face happily with these pancakes.

Enjoy friends!

Dutch Apple Pie Pancakes

apples:
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3-4 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pancakes:
1 cup sour cream
7 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

crumb topping: 
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 Tablespoons butter, softened

First, prepare the crumb mixture, by combining the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in the softened butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside.

Next saute the apples by placing the butter in a sauce pan and melt on medium heat. When the butter melts, add in the apples and stir. Turn the heat to low, cover, and cooker for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, add the sugar and cinnamon and raise the temperature to  medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are tender and glazed, about another 10 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.

To make the pancakes, place the sour cream, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir gently. Mix until just combined. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs. Then add the vanilla to the eggs. Pour the egg mixture into the sour cream mixture. Stir gently until combined.

Melt the butter on a hot skillet. Pour a little less then 1/4 cup of batter on the skillet at a time. Cook each pancake for about a 1 1/2 minutes, until there are bubbles on the surface of the pancake. Flip an cook the other side for less than a minute. Until done.

Lay one pancake down on a plate. Spoon a little bit of the apple mixture down. Lay another pancake on top of the apple mixture. Then top with more apple mixture and a generous handful of the crumb topping.

Eat. Wait for it....Wait for it...

A chorus of  yums.

Happy apple eating.

Come back tomorrow for more apple goodness.

Linking here:
The 36th Avenue, Chef in Training,Tatertots and Jello,

 

Apple Week is Here

I love Fall.

One of the things I love most about Fall is picking fresh apples. 

This Fall, I have gone a little apple crazy...if that is even possible.

I am going to share all the Fall and apple love with you guys this week.

A whole week just devoted to apples. 

Oh how delightful!

Come back each day all week long for all kinds of apple fun.

An apple a day....

You know the saying.

See you guys back here every day!

How to Can: Pears

I have been canning for a little over two years.

I jumped into the waters a little cautiously, but it didn't take long until I was addicted.

Shelves and shelves of our very favorite fruits and vegetables all beautifully resting in glass jars. Perfectly lined up in rows. Row upon row. I mean what is not to love!

One of our favorite canned fruits is pears. Oh mercy me, they are so delightfully yummy.

Pears are a little time intensive to can, but once you get the hang of it, well it isn't that bad.

Plus, the end result is completely worth all the work and effort.

I am sharing how I can pears with you today.

I learned this way of canning pears from a girl who learned it from her mom, who has been doing it this way forever. So this really is a tried and true way to can those beautiful pears.

This method is raw pack canning.

So, what do you need--

lots of pears
your choice of pint or quart jars (I prefer quart wide mouth jars).
lids and rings
sugar

Before you can start prepping the fruit, you want to prep jars, lids, and rings.

I wash the jars and then keep them in an 180 degree oven to keep warm until I use them. I wash the rings and lids and then keep them in a pot of simmering water until ready to use.

In preparation, also fill a tea kettle.

If you are doing a lot of pears, this will all be done in batches.

First wash the pears.

Cut of the tops and bottoms.

Then peal the pear.

Cut the pear in half from top to bottom.

Then remove the core, with a v-cut.

 Heat the tea kettle. Remove several jars from the oven.

For light syrup, place 1/4 cup sugar in the bottom of a jar. Place the pear, cavity down into the bottom of the jar. Keep layering pears, cavity down until the jars is filled to the neck of the jar.

Pour the boiling water from the tea kettle into each jar leaving one half inch head space. Remove the air bubbles from the jar.

Wipe the rim of the jars clean with a clean, hot rag.

Remove a lid and ring from the boiling water, and place on the jar. Make sure to not screw the ring on too tight or the lid could buckle in the processing.

Place the jars in a water bath canner. Make sure the water covers the jars with an inch extra.  Place the lid on the canner and bring to a boil. Once the pot is boiling....aka...rocking and a rolling...let the jars process.

Pints take 30 minutes and quarts take 35 minutes, unless you need to add time due to your altitude. Processing time will depend on your altitude. For instance, I have to add 10 extra minutes due to living so blasted high up. Check HERE for your processing time.

Once the processing time is done. Allow the jars to set for a few minutes. Remove from the water bath canner and set out on the counter.

Wait for the lovely "pop" of your jars sealing.

Allow the jars to cool on the counter. Check in 24 hours to make sure all the lids have sealed. There might appear to be a layer of sugar still on the bottom of the jar. Don't fret. It will dissolve.

Once you know all the jars are sealed, they can be stored on your shelves and eaten when your little heart desires.

As I said, this is how I have canned pears for years.

I do recommend going to THIS site or looking into 

The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

for further canning how-to.

Trust me, canning is not scary!
If I can do it, you can do it!!