I have been a Lazy Blogger

Oh man, I have been so busy lately I have no time at all to devote to my blog which I am trying so hard to grow!  Tomorrow I am having a garage sale & I can't wait to tell you how I did.  Between keeping my house running, working at our business, spending time with the grand-kids, working on my garage sale & tying to keep up with a rambunctious 4 month old Brittany puppy, Hippie Dippie is one tired cookie.  I am going to try to get back on track next week...stay with me folks!!!!

Cedar Crest Ice Cream

I am going out on a limb a little bit here to promote Cedar Crest Ice Cream...but, my goodness they are worth the effort it takes to find them.

Our local gas station/convenience store/food stop/ recently featured a tub of Pirates Booty ice cream, which we found out was made by Cedar Crest.  This flavor which consists of oreos, M & M's, and more,  is to die for!  It might take some effort to track them down, but it is worth the effort!


New choices month by month for 2013 include:


Jan. Snowflake White Pistachio Ice Cream blended with a flurry of White Chocolate coated Almond and White Chocolate Flakes
Feb./Mar. Wopatui Vanilla Ice Cream with Brownie pieces and a Cherry swirl
Apl. Grand Slam Sundae
Key Lime Pie A blend of Buttered Pecans, Toffee Candy and Chocolate Flakes in Vanilla Ice Cream swirled with Caramel Fudge
Honey graham crust with swirls of whipped cream and key lime pie ribbon in lime flavored ice cream
May Jumping Jersey Cow
Banana Cream Pie
The Big Cow Peanut Butter flavored Ice Cream blended w/ Chocolate coated Caramel Mini Cows & swirled w/ Chocolate Fudge
Marshmallow swirl and Pie pieces in Banana flavored Ice Cream
 Chocolate and vanilla ice cream with a chocolate fudge swirl and cookie dough pieces
June Red Raspberry
Firecracker Red Raspberries in Raspberry flavored Ice Cream
Strawberry flavored Ice Cream with Pop Rock Candy
July Graham Central Station
Tortoise & The Fair Graham flavored Ice Cream with a Graham Cracker Swirl with Chocolate coated Fluffy Candy pieces
Caramel swirled in Vanilla Custard blended with Caramel filled Chocolate Turtles and Praline Pecans
Aug. Deep Dish Apple Pie Cinnamon Crunch in Apple Ice Cream with an Apple swirl
Sep. Quarter Back Sneak Nougat flavored Ice Cream with Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter
Footballs and a Caramel swirl
Oct. Pumpkin Pumpkin flavored Ice Cream
Nov./Dec. The Nutcracker Butter pecan ice cream with a caramel swirl, salted pecans and cashews


Regular parlor flavors include:

3-Gallon Ice Cream Cedar Creek 3-Gallon
After Dinner Mint Chocolate
Banana Vanilla
Birthday Cake Reduced Fat 3-Gallon
Black Cherry Banquet Vanilla
Black Walnut Fountain Vanilla
Blue Moon Malt Base
Bubble Gum Reduced Fat / NSA 3-Gallon
Butter Brittle Butter Pecan
Butter Pecan No-Fat / No-Sugar 3-Gallon
Candy Bar Chocolate Swirl
Caramel Collision® Strawberry Swirl
Chocolate Vanilla
Chocolate Chip Low-Fat Yogurt 3-Gallon
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Black Cherry
Chocolate Malt Chocolate
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ecstasy Chocolate Chocolate Chunk
Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Peach Melba
Cinnamon Praline Pecan
Coconut Raspberry
Cookies ‘N Cream Strawberry
Cotton Candy Strawberry Cheesecake
Deluxe Vanilla Vanilla
Elephant Tracks® Sherbet 3-Gallon
French Silk Lemon
French Vanilla Lime
Irish Coffee Orange
Lady Bug® Pineapple
Licorice Chip Rainbow
Mackinac Island Fudge Raspberry
Malted Mountain Sunset Rainbow
Maple Nut Watermelon
Mint Chocolate Chip Twisters 3-Gallon
Mint Mackinac Island Fudge Orange Twister
Mississippi Mud Root Beer Twister
Mocha Almond Fudge
New York Cherry
Orange Pudding
Play Dough
Peanut Butter Cup
Peppermint Stick
Pirates Booty
Pistachio Almond
Praline Pecan
Rocky Road
Spumoni
Strawberry
Strawberry Cheesecake
Superman
Toasted Chocolate Almond Fudge
Zanzibar Chocolate

Vinolicious...Delight in a Glass!

You say your not a wine drinker?  Well think again!  Tasty Tidbits has come out with Vinolicious mixes to add to wine to male even the most cynical wine critics doing an about face.


We are so excited to introduce Vinolicious to you!  This mix is a great new way to enjoy your favorite wine.  Simply add wine and water to the mix, use a wire whisk  to blend  (do not need to use a blender) and   place in your freezer and in 4 hours or so you will have a yummy wine slush!  It's the perfect addition to any party and so refreshing on a hot summer day!

Vinolicious makes a great hostess gift, stocking stuffer or simply let it be the hit at your next party.
A wonderful feature of our slush mix is that you can use any kind of wine.  Reds, wines, dry or sweet, homemade and  even champagne.

Vinolicious takes on the profile of whatever you use.  Feel free to make your drink non-alcoholic by using sparkling juice, ginger ale, grape, apple, pomegranate, or cranberry juice and it's wonderful with non-alcoholic wine.

Absolutely delicious and refreshing!

We use only all natural ingredients.

If you have any leftover or if some melts, just stick it back in the freezer and it will be good for the next time.  It will stay frozen in your freezer for at least 9 months and will taste like you made it last night!

Try our newest creation.....you'll be back for more.....we guarantee it!

I have tired them , I love them & I guarantee you will too!


Click Here to see all they have to offer.

Betty Crocker Warm Delights - Leave it to Grandpa

Every once in a while I have to give my other half credit.  He stumbled across a mini cake that he figured would be perfect for our Grand babies, and he got it  right.  Betty Crocker warm delights are the perfect for 1 treats to share with your mini-me's.

These tasty treats come in several flavors including creamy milk chocolate, fudgey chocolate chip cookie, hot fudge brownie, molten caramel cake, and peanut butter fudge brownie.

Just add water and microwave. You’ll have a warm treat in no time, just in time for ‘me time'.

If you would like more info check them out.... Warm Delights.

Knorr Tomato Parmesan Sides

If you are following my blog on a regular basis, then you know I love to cook & I LOVE, love, love to experiment.  But one thing I don't love to do is spend a ton of money on doing that when a product exists that surely beats any effort I could ever make at only about $1.25 (or less) per package. Let me introduce Knorr Sides.  My favorite is Knorr Tomato Parmesan.

This side feeds 2-3 & is delish! Penne pasta crafted with tomato, real Parmesan and Romano cheeses, basil and garlic seasonings.  Although this is my personal fave, Knorr has many other varieties of pasta & rice sides.  Please browse  Knorr for all they have to offer.

Banquet Homestyle Bakes form Con Agra

I am busy woman/Grandma/partner.  Let's face it  ladies, we don't always feel like cooking...heck I don't feel like eating most times....unless of course it's chocolate!  When you don't wanna...guess what?  You don't have to!  There are some fantastic alternatives thanks to Banquet!  Of course they have their chicken, frozen dinners for 1 & what not...but now they have a hearty meal sure to please your man.  Homestyle Bakes.

Dan's favorite is absolutely the chicken & dumplings.  Even though I usually let him eat all of it, on occasion I sneak a nibble & it's so good, it leaves me wanting more...much more!

If you are looking for a quick fix that is still a hearty & delicious meal for your man, look no further...

Banquet has tons of products in addition to this...please check them out to see all Banquet has to offer.

Ling Ling Asian Kitchen - Potstickers

I picked up Ling Ling Asian Kitchen pot stickers a few months back at Costco, and I have to say I am hook, line, and sinkered!

These come in a bag that contain several meals (depending ho big your family is)  Everything you need is included including a very tasty sauce.  No need to that, just add to oil coated pan, add water & simmer for about 15 minutes...again depending on how many serving you are making.

These tasty pot stickers are quick, easy, filling & oh sooo very tasty!

For more of Ling Ling's Asian Kitchen offerings see  Ling Ling.

Shaw's Southern Belle Crab Cakes

Sometimes I need to give myself a reality check & remind myself, that I am not Julia Child...or Rachel Ray...whatever the case may be.  I realized that recently when I tried to make crab cakes & failed miserably.    Well. I figured, if you don't succeed, try, try, again...right?  Not this time.  I didn't really feel like striking out, so I headed to the frozen foods section & picked up a box of Shaw's Southern Belle Crab Cakes.

It's not often you find a truly delicious item your looking for on the first try...but I sure did in this case.  These crab cakes are better then I could ever make & a whole lot less trouble.    If your into a easy & filling side for a quick meal, give these cakes a whirl.  They will not disappoint!

Pagoda Express Pork & Shrimp Eggrolls

I love my life, but, I am kind of in the middle of nowhere.  There are no Chinese restaurants to call up & order delivery or to run to for carry out.  That leaves me to my own devices if I want Chinese food....which I love.  I also love making it, but not all the time.  Frozen treats have always been a poor substitute to most carry out...until I discovered Pagoda Express Egg rolls.

These tasty egg rolls were a welcome surprise to my palette,  The crust was flaky & the veggies inside were crispy & tasty.  The variety I chose (pork & shrimp) were not lacking in the main ingredient either.  I was pleasantly surprised by the taste & quality. I invite you all to discover the authentic taste PAGODA EXPRESS® products offer. Try all of their crispy egg rolls, savory potstickers and wonton varieties.  Check out Pagoda Express for all they have to offer.

McCormick Grillmates Seasoning Blends & Weber Seasonings

It's close enough to grilling season for me to talk about some of my favorite seasonings combinations.  I love to GRILL!  I grill all year, but some of you I know are fair weather grillers & this is for you.

I have been using the grill mates for quite some time & pair them with Weber seasonings to create flavors that are just out of this world delectable....

I have combined smokey maple or molasses bacon with lemon pepper, and garlic & herb....Fantastic!  I don't limit myself  to putting chicken seasoning on chicken or hamburger seasoning on hamburgers either...I am always mixing up different flavors & they make my mouth water every time!

These seasonings are also very reasonably priced, so stock up, mix & match & let your imagination guide you into a wonderful grilling season & make it the tastiest ever!

Check out McCormick Grill Mates Seasoning Mixes  and Weber Seasoning Mixes for information on all their products & seasoning blends.

Enjoy your summer!

Newman's Own Products..Mild Salsa

A lot of celebrity's dabble in the food bizz, but nobody, not even Emeril Lagasse or Rachel Ray can boast the success the late Paul Newman has had with his diverse Newman's Own products.    My first dip into Newman's Own products was with their mild salsa, which is what I would like to shout out about today.

Now I have tried a LOT of salsa in my 53 years, and I have to say Newman's Own is my absolute favorite.  It's chunky & flavorful & chock full of peppers, onions, tomatoes...and oh, so yummy!  

Newman's Own has branched out in so many directions, and it's really no surprise...they really are that good.  In addition to the salsa, they have marinades, salad dressings, sauces, skillet meals, cereal.... Visit Newman's Own Products.  

What's really wonderful about Newman's Own Products  is this idea was in Paul Newman's heart and, today, Newman's Own continues his commitment to donate all profits from the sale of our food products to charity. That's right, all of our after-tax profits are given to Newman's Own Foundation and then dispensed to charities throughout the U.S. and around the globe. Over $370 million has been given to thousands of charities since 1982. To learn more about Newman's Own Foundation and its grantees, visit NewmansOwnFoundation.org.

Awake Caffeinated Chocolate

I was lucky enough to be able to sample the new Awake Caffeinated chocolate bars in 2 flavors...milk chocolate & caramel.  Both Dan & I found them rich & very satisfying.  

In addition, the packaging was appealing without putting to much emphasis on being caffeinated.  The chocolate gives you a little energy boost without being over the top, and it simply melts in your mouth.  

So...Here’s the deal with Awake chocolate these delicious new chocolate bars with as much caffeine goodness as a cup of coffee (or a 250ml energy drink). Perfect for when you gotta get stuff done, and just don’t have the energy to do it.

If you would like more information on these yummy treats, please visit Awake Chocolate for more information.

Mrs. T's Pierogies

What's a pierogie you ask?  Well let me tell you, if you have to ask...you are missing out...but, I will tell you anyway.  Pierogis (as any self respecting Polish girl can tell you) are dumplings of unleavened dough – first boiled, then they are baked or fried usually in butter with onions – traditionally stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or fruit. Of central and eastern European provenance, they are usually semicircular, but are rectangular or triangular in some cuisines.

I am sure, as with anything, home made ones are hard to beat, but Mrs T makes some darn good ones at a darn good price.  I am sure they would put my efforts to shame!

Pierogies come in many different varieties, but our personal fave is Potato & cheese.  Take your box of Mrs T's out of the freezer, separate the pierogies, and toss them in the frying pan.  Add butter, onions, and my personal touch,,,bacon & let them slow cook.  Comfort food made simple & oh, so delicious!  

So if you have never had a pierogie, let me introduce you to Mrs. T, the mother of all pierogies.  Besides for the potato & cheese variety, they do have several others,  Check out Mrs T's for everything you ever wanted to know about pierogies.  Take it from a Polish girl, I bet my dupa you will love them!  Enjoy!