Cre8tive Compass Magazine

My One Year Anniversary with Social Fabric/Collective Bias #HappyCBDay

Rebecca E. Parsons — Fri, 11 May 2012 04:18:25 +0000

During the past four years I have come to know for sure that when a really wonderful dream comes into alignment with your present life there is a bunch of commotion, unease and even turmoil. If you are patient during life’s rough spots there is something beautiful ahead. I have learned to count and savor my blessings…

And this is my paradigm with Social Fabric and Collective Bias.

This is Spirit Week at Social Fabric! There is much excitement and I, along with my fellow CB/SF peeps will be taking part in a 5K walk tomorrow at 11:11 AM in celebration of the 3rd anniversary. What a difference a year makes!

My SoFab Love Story

Last year on May 11th I attended a Twitter Party celebrating Collective Bias’ second birthday. I attended mostly because they were giving away gift cards. I was blessed enough to win the first gift card for $25 and a whole lot of Truvia. That meant that we could buy food. I was so thrilled I cried.

But something else happened during that party. Some of the members were talking about projects they had done with SoFab where they had earned some great rewards. I was intrigued…you see I had been a member since January, but did not understand the process. It looked like you had to spend money to make money…money I did not have. Yet, the chatter made me take a second look.

I had no idea what I was doing, but I applied for a project and prayed that I would get selected. I did get picked and I was scared to death. I had no idea what I was doing…so I just did what I thought the brand would like. I earned $64 and some dog collar charms and the rest is history. I fell in love with the people, the process and the ground breaking social marketing model. I knew these people were making history and that I was on the ground floor of something that would change the world.

John Andrews and Amy Callahan had birthed a new age of social marketing and, within that dream, bloggers could earn respect for their dedication while helping brands launch into interactive relationships with their customers. A Win Win for everybody.

Which brings me back to the bracelets above. This week I completed a business development mission for SoFab. I bought these to commemorate this first anniversary and all the blessings that I have received since I took that first tentative step toward my destiny one year ago this week. The beads stand for the projects I have participated in, the silver disks stand for my angels (you two know who you are). I am blessed and counting those blessings each and every day.

Through SoFab, I have found validation, respect and encouragement. I have worked with brands like Mars/M&Ms, Kmart, Sear’s, Colgate, Gordon Ramsey, Sandra Lee, International Delight, TCBY, Starbucks, Hillshire Farm, Kraft, Walmart, Target and so many more. I have attended conferences I only dreamed of attending. I have learned how to lead a successful campaign. And I have a means to support myself as a writer/professional blogger and designer. The S4 Woman has returned ~ Smart, Savvy, Successful and more than a little sassy. Sandra Lee said this magablog you are reading is “pure genius” and that I was “the hands down winner of wordsmithing!!!” Pretty heady stuff for someone who was starving this time last year.

None of this would have happened without Social Fabric and Collective Bias and the leaders who found something in me I was not sure I had anymore. Thank you Courtney for believing in me. Thank you Amy for giving me the most precious of gifts. Thank you Lauren and Mailena and all those members who have touched my life this year. CB means Count your Blessings to me!!!

I look forward to year four through infinity…Happy Anniversary to us!!! XOXOX

I was not compensated to write the above…it came from my heart!!! #HappyCBDay

Happy Mother’s Day to Me from Bealls

Rebecca E. Parsons — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:10:31 +0000

I am the proud momma of four children and the over the top grandmomma to my sweet baby girl. However, these offspring are spread out from coast to coast. And they are so spread thin time-wise that they rarely make it to see me on Mother’s Day. Thus Mother’s Day will be quiet for me this year… (pouting a bit)

Sooo when the Social Fabric invited me to spoil myself at Bealls for Mother’s Day, I jumped for joy. It has given me a mission to find the perfect present to pamper myself and make me not quite so pouty! I said not quite…

I started the adventure online at Bealls beautiful website – BeallsFlorida.com. Do you know how many products they offer online? I didn’t either until I visited and was bowled over by the many, many choices. If I can’t find a way to spoil myself at Bealls, I am a stubborn fool!! (No comment from my kids are necessary!!!)

my local store popped up when I searches for Bealls

If you are not familiar with Bealls Department Stores, they are your source for Florida lifestyle clothing, gifts & home decor. Bealls even has a Twitter presence – @Bealls. Go follow them now!!!

I love the bright and cheerful feel of the store. There is plethora of eye candy for savvy shoppers too because they have many sale items throughout the store with big discounts up to 80% off…YES 80%!!!

Bealls carries a great selection of brand name products…from Nike to KitchenAid and everything in between. And they don’t stop there. They have something called Bealls bucks…spend $50 and get $10 on Bealls Bucks to use towards a $10 or more purchase!! And they have a Rewards Program if you use their in store credit card.

Plus they have a great Pinterest page with 20 boards filled with awesome items. I especially love the sock monkeys you can dress up!!! You know I have sock monkey ColBi who travels with me and changes outfits often. TEE HEE!!! Look at these…

Did I mention there were a lot of choices? So many that I could not decide between jewels, a spiffy new outfit, a new kitchen tool or two or a sock monkey buddy for ColBi!!! What’s a girl to do? This is a good place to find myself…all distracted from pouting and such!! So distracted I actually forgot to pout for a few hours while I made this slide show of my shopping experience online.

Off to Bealls to Surprise Myself

So I had a few ideas in mind when I went to my Bealls here on the island. It had some catchy island clothing right inside the door…should I do this? or this? or how about this pink hat? I love hats…

I found these jewels on sale for 40% off…there are a lot of sale signs around the store.

How about a pink flamingo? I really, really like these…

something to entertain with? something to decorate with? something to bake?

Oh my…should I be practical or not so much? How about both? I could do both…

My mission was to go on a $50 shopping spree for a Mother’s Day present at Bealls. See the entire path to purchase slideshow here. What a mission…but somebody has to do it! I chose these things for my Mother’s Day surprise. I love to cook…and a little chocolate cures a lot of pouting…

my Mother's Day gifts from Bealls

and the bracelets just make me smile…

So Mother’s Day is looking much brighter now that Bealls and Social Fabric helped me feel special and pampered!!

For more information, be sure to visit Bealls online and follow Bealls on Facebook or Twitter and Pinterest to keep up with the news.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias #SocialFabric All opinions, photos and witty remarks are 100% my own.

Sunny Day Brunch with My New Grill from #KmartOutdoor

Rebecca E. Parsons — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:38:43 +0000

So Mother’s Day will be quiet for me this year…well it actually has been for quite some time. My four children and one grandchild are spread out from coast to coast. They are so spread thin time wise that they rarely ~~have the time take the time~~ come to visit their sweet and adorable Mother on Mother’s Day…ARGGG! (YESSS…this is intended to be an old fashioned guilt trip!!!)

SOOOO when the Social Fabric and Kmart invited me to participate in a Grill Out in preparation for Mother’s Day, I was all in. It has ~~taken the sting~~ given me (and HIMself) a mission to find the perfect grill for our simplified and downsized lifestyle. I declared it UnMother’s Day!

Now this was fun, but not easy. You should have seen us…kids in a candy store browsing the grills at Kmart.com’s Outdoor catalog #KmartOutdoor.

I was on my Big mac upstairs and HIMself was on his laptop downstairs. If the video camera had been rolling, it would have captured something like this:

R- “I like the red one.”

H- “Oh the Weber’s are great.”

R- “I really like the Char-Broil 6-burner with the side burner!”

H- “Becca we are DOWN-sizing!!!” Smirk, smirk, smirk.

R- “Buuuuuttt, I like it.” Pouty face…he can’t see it though!!!

H- “How about the electric one that is portable? We could take it to the beach.”

R- “and plug it where?” Rolling my eyes!!!

This process went on for about two hours!!! Yes, we are silly…and our task is to go to Kmart online and purchase a new grill using layaway. Have you ever done layaway at Kmart? I have not done it before…but it was easy to do online…really!!! If you don’t have the cash available, you can pay about 10% now and the rest over two months. You can also lock in today’s low prices for all of your Mother’s Day and Memorial Day events with Kmart Layaway! You even get a handy dandy spreadsheet of payments when you sign up online. See our entire path to purchase in a very entertaining slideshow here.

We also used Shop Your Way Rewards to save more…for every $1 I spend I get 10 points!!! And those points really do help me save!!! If you don’t belong, go right now and sign up!!! Go on….then come right back and see…meanwhile HIMself and I are going to go pick up our new grill…

Welcome back…we have been to KMart in Kingsland, GA. What a lovely bunch of people work there. Lester and Stephanie really treated us special. Since HIMself is still in recovery from a broken ankle, they gave us a grill that was already put together…that Rocks!!!

they had a great selection of grills in the store

The Sunny Day Brunch

So meet our new red grill…I call her ‘Scaaaarlet O’Grillaaaa’ in my best southern accent!!! Doesn’t she sparkle pretty? She is an amazing outdoor appliance for our outdoor patio space…and she will help us keep the indoors nice and cool on these hot (and I mean HOT honey) Florida days.

I decided to host a practice grilling brunch with Scarlet O’Grilla. I am loving the side burner…I have claimed that for my own. HIMself can have all the rest…but that baby is MINE!!!! Whomever thought of that is my new hero!!! I am out here cooking on that every morning…my tea pot, my new Sandra Lee soup pot and skillet have all taken a spin on SO’Gs side burner. If you have recipes for cooking or baking on my side burner, please share!!!

So Monday morning (I can do that cause I work for myself) I hosted an impromptu Sunny Day Brunch with a few good friends. Everything was made on SO’G…everything. Oh, except the cold drinks!!!

Now the very best thing about Scarlett is that we can both cook at once…see the pancakes and eggs going at the same time…

The Menu

Recipes

Mimosas

Mix chilled champagne and fresh squeezed orange juice. Serve in champagne flutes.

Sunny Skillet Breakfast

Ingredients:

5 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped onion
3 potatoes, cooked and cubed
6 eggs, beaten
chopped fresh herbs to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese

Technique:

In an iron skillet, cook bacon until crisp; drain on paper towels. In drippings, cook onion and potatoes until browned, about 5 minutes. Pour beaten eggs into the skillet. Cook, stirring gently, until eggs are set and cooked. Season with herbs, salt and pepper; sprinkle with the bacon and shredded cheese. Let stand a minute or two, just until cheese melts.

HIMself’s Hash

Ingredients:

1 can of Corned Beef Hash
salt and pepper to taste
shredded mild Cheddar cheese

Technique:

In an iron skillet, cook hash until heated. Season with salt and pepper; sprinkle with cheese.

HIMself cleaning after the party

The new Scarlet O’Grilla grill has inspired us to do more outdoor cooking/grilling. HIMself and I are actually fighting over who gets to fire her up!!! We don’t need a holiday like Mother’s Day or Memorial Day to do some grilling…we will be doing so all summer long…shucks: we can do it year round here in Florida!!!

This is Kmart!

If you have not been to your local Kmart in a while, I encourage you to visit. It has evolved in the last few years. Plus, Kmart always has deals and promotions in the your Sunday circular for like these on 5/6/12:

20% all patio cushions and umbrellas #KmartOutdoor
20% off all folding lawn furniture
Metal arbor with gate on SALE for 79.99 (reg $149.99)
50% off hanging basket plant stand and deluxe basket plant stand

Here are some great links to Kmart online:

Kmart’s Website
Kmart’s Twitter
Shop Your Way Rewards Twitter
Kmart’s Facebook
Kmart Weekly Deals

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric^® Community. #CBias #SocialFabric This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All photos, ideas and opinions are my own!! See the C8C disclosure for complete details.

Strike Me Pink…You Feel Me? Color Associations & You

Debra Disman — Mon, 07 May 2012 04:43:51 +0000

Hello Cre8tive Compass! I am Debra Disman, your friendly Color Muze, here to share tasty tidbits of color wisdom…from here, there and everywhere. (If you would like to know about the relationship between color, and taste..please check out previous posts on SYNESTHESIA, and….Synesthesia!)

April 15, 2012,on Rebecca E. Parsons wonderful, and inspiring “Artistically Speaking Talk Show” on blog talk radio, our Color Muze found me in colorFULL convo with Rebecca, and her two highly cre8tive guests, Deb Thompson, and Christy Gossett both bloggers extraordinaire. We had a fun romp through a serious color association study, that I learned about from Mr. Frank H. Mahnke, my instructor at the IACC-NA ( International Association of Colour Consultants/ Designers North America). The color skinny, as per this study? Color Associations may indeed be cross cultural…even universal, within a certain range, of both colors, and cultures. Meaning that…in this study, the majority of participants had similar color associations. What were they? Well…please peruse my take and interpretation below, and let the fun, and fascination, begin! Less verbiage…let’s let “Les Couleures” speak for themselves!

Red = Love

Wouldn’t you know it? (Heart, blood, life force, et al…)

However, when paired with black, the love may change to hatred…oh dear.

However, this may shift depending on the proportions of red to black, and the addition of another color, such as white.

The human presence, also may alter this association!

The obvious associations with sky and water seem to compel us to associate the color blue with peace and tranquility.

As well, green, with its relationship to nature, plants, and the rejuvenating life force of springtime.

Although white may be the color of mourning in some cultures, the majority of participants associated the colors black and gray with mourning and sorrow. Here the effect may be mitigated by an undertone of life giving green, along with fresh creamy trim.

The most common color associated with “happy” in this study was yellow…with orange coming in second.

What comes to mind when YOU think of orange? The color of joviality…possibly related to joy!

Warm oranges may be associated with appetite, and can be used effectually in kitchens and dining areas.

Here, the radiant, embracing orange wall and ceiling of this living room veer towards the yellow, or golden, also associated with “jovial”.

Fresh clear life affirmative green…no surprise that “LIFE” is a big association!

Slightly toned down, but still radiant! Life Force…here we come!

Light-filled yellow…not veering towards the orange here..with luminous associations.

More luminous-ness…an exterior faux finish featuring a deeper-valued texture over a lighter base,

popping on this building against an azure blue sky. Yellow = sun/sunshine = light = luminous, indeed.

Speaking of blue…blue and violet associate with “noble”.

Noble blue door…this one does make a statement.

Purple has long been associated with royalty…and has been the color of royalty, or the “highest” of “noble blood”. To obtain this once rare color, a fair amount of effort once had to be made.

“The actual color of Tyrian purple, the original color purple from which the name purple is derived, is the color of a dye extracted from a mollusk found on the shores of the city of Tyre in ancient Phoenicia (present day Lebanon) that in classical antiquity became a symbol of royalty because only the very wealthy could afford it. Therefore, Tyrian purple was also called imperial purple.“ (See Article).

Nature arranges colors so beautifully…in ways that delight us, and make our hearts sing… might her “color associations be the same as ours?

What colors do YOU associate with “love”, “hatred”, “peace/tranquility”, “happiness”, “joviality”, “life”, “luminous”. or “noble”?

If you feel so inclined, please share them with us here.

We love to hear from You.

Remember, we are all making our associations with this thing called Life, together.

Spring Blogger Event ~ Sandra’s Summer Carnival Launch Party in NYC #bySandraLee

Rebecca E. Parsons — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 19:19:25 +0000

The big event happened on Friday afternoon, when 16 top-tier bloggers from around the US gathered in New York City at the invitation of Sear’s and KMart to celebrate the launch of the Sandra by Sandra Lee collection. Entrepreneur, TV star and bestselling author Sandra Lee was the perfect hostess for this soiree ~ entertaining, charming and very personable. (see my post from yesterday about how she rendered me speechless…)

Sandra’s Summer Carnival was held at The Kitchen NYC in Manhatten. The 8,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art kitchen studio, production and event space located in midtown Manhattan, was decorated for Sandra Lee festive summer fun. Of course every detail was well executed and showcased her exclusive collection of home products including cookware, utensils, gadgets, bakeware, small kitchen appliances, tabletop items and storage solutions.

We had brunch. We chatted with Sandra, the Sear’s and Kmart reps and the other bloggers. We did tablescaping and learned how to make a few of Sandra’s famous cocktails. Sadly, we did not have enough time to cook!!!

The venue was spectacular…the food delicious…the company delightful! I could wordsmith it for hours; however, I will allow the images to tell the story of the afternoon…

Cheers!!

My trip to New York is sponsored by Sear’s. All opinions are 100% my own.

Sandra Lee Rendered Me Speechless at Her Launch Party in NYC #bySandraLee

Rebecca E. Parsons — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 14:05:36 +0000

I just got back from NYC after a blissful 2 days with the Kmart/Sears team at the Sandra Lee launch!!! My creative energy is on fire. Sandra made a comment about my blog { “This is pure genius.” } and about me as a writer { Rebecca is the hands down winner of wordsmithing.” } that rendered my speechless and in happy tears!!! Me speechless??? YES!!! Then she read a long passage from one of my posts that was about encouraging women to be themselves.

Sandra is warm and charming. She gave us solid advice about how to create a brand or take our brand up a notch. Be yourself. Don’t pay any attention to the detractors. Work tirelessly because you will have plenty of time to sleep when you’re dead. Most of all I loved that she took the time to connect with each of us on a personal level.

In this large room, filled with the gleaming red and white Sandra by Sandra Lee collection, she sat on one of the picnic tables and chatted with each the 16 bloggers. She had taken the time to visit every one of our blogs and note what she observed or caught her eye. I found that exceptional. I was impressed indeed!!!

Tomorrow I will share more of my photo journaling and wordsmithing!!!

My trip to New York is sponsored by Sear’s. All opinions are 100% my own.

Off to New York with Sears, Kmart & Amazing Bloggers #bySandraLee

Rebecca E. Parsons — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:20:50 +0000

I am on my way to New York today to celebrate the launch with Sandra Lee and several other foodie bloggers. The Sandra by Sandra Lee collection of home products is exclusive to Sear’s and KMart. It includes cookware, utensils, gadgets, bakeware, small kitchen appliances, tabletop items and storage solutions. FAB U LOUS!!! The hashtag to follow my adventure is #bySandraLee.

#bySandraLee Scroll Dinnerware

Sandra Lee Semi-homemade on Food Network

#bySandraLee Mini Casserole

#bySandraLee Colorful Oven Mits

My trip to New York is sponsored by Sear’s. All opinions are 100% my own.

Giving Away Die-cut Business Cards from UPrinting.com

Rebecca E. Parsons — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:55:10 +0000

UPDATE: The winner is Nicole Burris – Oh I would love the CIRCLE cards. I think that would be Awesome!

I need new business cards. I have been invited to some pretty big events this year…all in New York City. After the one this weekend, I will be out of cards. As luck would have it (you know I am lucky), an opportunity to review the business cards at UPrinting.com came my way…and I so want one of their die-cut cards! I really love the rounded corners…don’t you?

I can choose from Rounded Corner, Circular or Leaf shaped cards and they are printed on top quality Glossy, UV, Matte or Uncoated thick 14pt Cardstock. This should be fun as I can design my own card, with my text and graphics, right on their website. Cool indeed.

UPrinting lets you print your own business cards online, whether you want to create standard cards or die-cut ones. You can either upload a file or create a business card from scratch using their Easy Design tool. They are pretty reasonable for the quality. You also get a PDF proof to check your design before printing.

The Giveaway

I will be giving away Die-cut Business Cards to a very lucky reader. (U.S. Residents Only) here are the details:

Choose from: 2×3.5′ Rounded Corners, 2×2″ Rounded Corners, 1.75×3.5″ Rounded Corners, 2×3.5″ Leaf, 2×3.5″ Rounded one corner, 2×3.5″ Half-Circle Side, 2×3.5″ Oval, or 2.5′ Circle
14pt Cardstock Gloss / Matte / High Gloss (UV), or 13pt Cardstock Uncoated
6 Business days print turnaround time
Free US shipping only

How To Enter

To enter, leave a comment below letting me know what shape of die-cut business card you would choose for you new cards.

Other Entry Options:

Like UPrinting on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/uprinting)
Follow UPrinting on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/uprinting)
Add UPrinting to Google+ Circle (http://plus.google.com/106588708418323078721)

Not required, but so kind:

You could LIKE C8C on Facebook too if you would!!! The LIKE button is at the top of the middle sidebar above.
You could share this by tweeting also…

Enter to #WIN 250 die-cut business cards from @UPrinting http://bit.ly/I9rlrJ Pls RT via @RebeccaEParsons

Terms and Conditions: The giveaway will end on Wednesday May 2, 2012 at 11:59 PM ET. Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org and must be claimed by Thursday 5/3/12 at noon or another winner will be chosen. You must leave a valid e-mail address to be entered. This giveaway is available to U.S. residents only. See C8C Giveaway Terms & Conditions for more information. You must leave a valid e-mail address to be entered. This giveaway is available to US residents only.

Restrictions:
1. This giveaway is open to US residents only, 18 years old and above.
2. No prize substitutions allowed.
3. Winners are allowed to win once over a six-month period.
4. Only email addresses used for the giveaway will be eligible to claim the prize.

Disclosure: You should assume that I will receive free print products in exchange for the post. Any and all reviews posted are based solely on my own experience and may be atypical. Please practice due diligence in making any related purchase decisions.

Sandra Lee Pinterest Contest #bySandraLee

Rebecca E. Parsons — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:45:41 +0000

I will be heading to New York next week to celebrate the launch with Sandra Lee and several other foodie bloggers. I have two opportunities for you to help me celebrate the launch of Sandra by Sandra Lee at Sear’s and KMart. What is that…her exclusive collection of home products – including cookware, utensils, gadgets, bakeware, small kitchen appliances, tabletop items and storage solutions that will be available at Sears and Kmart stores nationwide. FAB U LOUS!!! The hashtag to follow my adventure is #bySandraLee.

#bySandraLee Scroll Dinnerware

So here are the opportunities to join in the fun and win a $100 gift card to shop for your favorite kitchen gadgets!!! The gift cards will be awarded and winners chosen by Sear’s…not me!!!

Flaunt Your Best Sandra Lee Semi-homemade Dish or Tablescape

Sandra Lee is known for her trademark “70/30 Semi-Homemade” philosophy, which combines 70 percent ready-made products with 30 percent fresh touches in all aspects of entertaining. I would love my readers to participate in the brand launch with a chance to win Sandra by Sandra Lee prizes. Leave a comment on my blog linking to a picture of a great semi-homemade dish or tablescape of your very own.

Images need to be uploaded to Pinterest or any other photo sharing site, but the link must be left in your comment below. Please include hashtag #bySandraLee and a brief description of the recipe or tablescape theme in the caption. Entries must be your original recipe or tablescaping work.

The winning dish and tablescape will be announced at Sandra’s Summer Carnival. Each winner receives a $100 gift card.

#bySandraLee Mini Casserole

Demonstrate Your Design Sense

How does Sandra’s dinnerware/serveware spark your creativity? Just for fun…create a mood board on Pinterest with your ideas for a tablescape that incorporates Sandra by Sandra Lee products. Feel free to include other items as well, and/or images of what inspired your design. Use hashtag #bySandraLee to tag your pins.

#bySandraLee Colorful Oven Mits

My trip to New York is sponsored by Sear’s. All opinions are 100% my own.

Delicious Silk Fruit&Protein Recipes for the Lactose Intolerant #SilkFruit

Rebecca E. Parsons — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:13:14 +0000

I recently was challenged to use Silk^® Fruit&Protein, found at my Walmart, in a recipe. Well you know me…I could not stop creating once I got going…so I have three recipes to share today. But first let me tell you about this yummy new product from Silk..Fruit&Protein!

Silk Fruit&Protein offers the taste of fruit juice plus the nourishing power of protein. According to the website, “it is silky-smooth, fruit-luscious and easy to love, Silk Fruit&Protein is marvelous in the morning or awesome in the afternoon. Silk Fruit&Protein is made with natural beans right here in North America, without genetic engineering. Chock full of protein, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin C, it comes in three fruity flavors: Mango Peach, Mixed Berry and Strawberry Banana.” However, I like it for one BIGGGGGGG reason…

It’s FREE…free of lactose and dairy…and it has protein…and I can have it!!!

So I we shopped for the ingredients for my recipes…see my entire path to purchase in a slide show here. You can find Silk Fruit&Protein in Walmart’s dairy department (near the milk). I am sure you will like this delicious product and find many ways to incorporate it into your recipes…just like I did.

And there is more, there will be a twitter party next Thursday at 1:00 PM EST where we will share recipes and give away some great prizes. Whether you have tried it and love it or are just learning about it, we’d like to invite you to join us at a Twitter party to talk about Silk® Fruit&Protein and how we can incorporate it into a healthy breakfast for our families! Here is the RSVP link. Make sure you RSVP so you are eligible for the great prizes.

HIMself is still in therapy for his ankle. I feel sorry for him, so I am spoiling him with treats. He helps with the grocery shopping…he even beat me to the dairy section yesterday!!! Okay…he has wheels….DUH!!!

So let’s get creative here and make some yumminess…Recipes for the Lactose Intolerant are great for breakfast or any time!!!

MUFFINS	DIP	SMOOTHIE

Silky Strawberry and Banana Nut Muffins

These are wickedly delicious, melt in your mouth muffins. You will probably make them often as I do. My family always asks for them when they visit. Now that I can use Silk Fruit&Protein in them instead of milk, my daughter and I can enjoy them too!!! WOO HOO!!!

INGREDIENTS

Wet ingredients (2 cups total):
1-3 ripe bananas mashed
1 egg
1/3 cup melted butter
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
Silk Fruit&Protein enough to make 2 cups TOTAL wet ingredients

DRY Ingredients:
1-1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 cup flax seed
1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts) or NUT-ritious

TECHNIQUE

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. This is an easy recipe…

Put all of the wet ingredients into a bowl. Make sure the bananas are thoroughly mashed before you start to mix. I use a food chopper to get them liquidy.

Put all of the dry ingredients into a separate bowl and mix them with a large wooden spoon. All the ingredients need to be fully incorporated so the baking powder/soda are completely distributed throughout the flour. I sift mine.

Fold the wet ingredients to the dry ones with a few swift strokes. This is incredibly important. DO NOT OVERMIX!!! The mixture will look lumpy and not fully mixed….but it is. It’s supposed to look like this..

If you mix it until it is the consistency of smooth cake batter, you’ve gone too far!!! So stop while you are ahead please.

Spoon the lumpy batter into a muffin tin lined with paper liners about 2/3rds full. Sprinkle some chopped nuts on the top. Put them into a preheated oven and for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, check a center muffin with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, STOP and remove them from the oven. If not, bake them for another 3-5 minutes. Ovens differ…you’ll know when they’re done.

Let them cool for a few minutes, then carefully lift them out of the muffin tin and place them on a cooling rack to cool or, better yet; eat them warm!!! Enjoy!

Silky Strawberry and Banana Yogurt Dip/Dressing

HIMself loves scones. He would have them twice a day if he could. We buy them at our wonderful bakery here on the island, but they can get dry if we buy too many. So I have a new trick to keep the second day scones just as tasty as the first….a silky yogurt dip. You can also use this as a salad dressing!!! I make a strawberry cold salad over greens that this really rocks!!!

INGREDIENTS
1 C Silk Fruit&Protein
1 C plain yogurt
3-5 strawberries to taste
1 tsp. flax seed

TECHNIQUE

Place the ingredients in a blender and mix until you create the consistency you like. This can store for a few days.

Silky Strawberry and Banana Yogurt Smoothie

This is so easy, you will laugh. Mix equal amounts of Silk Fruit&Protein and plain yogurt. I add some flax seed too, but you don’t have to. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Take out several and blend in the blender. Add a sprig of mint and enjoy!!!

So I hope I have convinced you to try Silk Fruit&Protein. It tastes great straight from the carton, but it is so good in recipes too. I hope that I can find the other two flavors soon…think what I can do with Mango Peach and Mixed Berry!!!

Here are websites for Silk…let them know how much you love the Silk Fruit&Protein. Tell them I sent you:

Silk Website: http://silksoymilk.com/products/fruit-protein
Silk on Twitter: http://twitter.com/lovemysilk
Silk on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SilkUS

Silk Fruit&Protein Strawberry Banana Nutrition Facts

20% Juice
Serving Size 1 cup (240 mL)
Servings Per Container 8

Amount per Serving

Calories

150

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 1.5g

Saturated Fat 0.0g

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 30mg

Potassium 290mg

Total Carbohydrates 29g

10%

Dietary Fiber 2g

Sugars 24g

Protein 5g

10%

Vitamin A

Vitamin C

100%

Calcium

20%

Iron

Vitamin D

25%

Folate

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

	Calories:	2,000	2,500

Total Fat	less than	65g	80g
Saturated Fat	less than	20g	25g
Cholesterol	less than	300mg	300mg
Sodium	less than	2,400mg	2,400mg
Potassium	less than	3,500mg	3,500mg
Total Carbohydrates		300g	375g
Dietary Fiber		25g	30g
Protein		50g	65g

Calories per gram:
Fat 9 • Carbohydrate 4 • Protein 4

Ingredients:
All Natural Soybase (Filtered Water, Soy Flour), Filtered Water, Juice Blend (Filtered Water, Pear, Apple and Strawberry Juices from Concentrate, Banana Puree), All Natural Evaporated Cane Juice, Pectin, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Calcium Lactate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Colors From Fruits and Vegetables, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Gellan Gum, Vitamin D2.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions, recipes and photos are my own unless otherwise noted. #Socialfabric #SilkFruit

Cre8tive Compass Magazine

My One Year Anniversary with Social Fabric/Collective Bias #HappyCBDay

My SoFab Love Story

I was not compensated to write the above…it came from my heart!!! #HappyCBDay

Happy Mother’s Day to Me from Bealls

Off to Bealls to Surprise Myself

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias #SocialFabric All opinions, photos and witty remarks are 100% my own.

Sunny Day Brunch with My New Grill from #KmartOutdoor

The Sunny Day Brunch

The Menu

Recipes

This is Kmart!

Here are some great links to Kmart online:

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. #CBias #SocialFabric This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All photos, ideas and opinions are my own!! See the C8C disclosure for complete details.

Strike Me Pink…You Feel Me? Color Associations & You

Spring Blogger Event ~ Sandra’s Summer Carnival Launch Party in NYC #bySandraLee

Cheers!!

My trip to New York is sponsored by Sear’s. All opinions are 100% my own.

Sandra Lee Rendered Me Speechless at Her Launch Party in NYC #bySandraLee

My trip to New York is sponsored by Sear’s. All opinions are 100% my own.

Off to New York with Sears, Kmart & Amazing Bloggers #bySandraLee

Sandra Lee Semi-homemade on Food Network

My trip to New York is sponsored by Sear’s. All opinions are 100% my own.

Giving Away Die-cut Business Cards from UPrinting.com

The Giveaway

How To Enter

Disclosure: You should assume that I will receive free print products in exchange for the post. Any and all reviews posted are based solely on my own experience and may be atypical. Please practice due diligence in making any related purchase decisions.

Sandra Lee Pinterest Contest #bySandraLee

Flaunt Your Best Sandra Lee Semi-homemade Dish or Tablescape

Demonstrate Your Design Sense

Delicious Silk Fruit&Protein Recipes for the Lactose Intolerant #SilkFruit

It’s FREE…free of lactose and dairy…and it has protein…and I can have it!!!

Silky Strawberry and Banana Nut Muffins

Silky Strawberry and Banana Yogurt Dip/Dressing

Silky Strawberry and Banana Yogurt Smoothie

Here are websites for Silk…let them know how much you love the Silk Fruit&Protein. Tell them I sent you:

Silk Fruit&Protein Strawberry Banana Nutrition Facts

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions, recipes and photos are my own unless otherwise noted. #Socialfabric #SilkFruit

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric^® Community. #CBias #SocialFabric This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All photos, ideas and opinions are my own!! See the C8C disclosure for complete details.