Hanahs Bandanas Review & Giveaway!

Bandana of the Month

Hanahs Bandanas offers a Bandana of the Month Club. Receive a new bandana each month delivered to your doorstep. Choose from a female or male color scheme.

Only need one bandana?  Don't want to commit to an every month deal?  Hanah has you covered!  Now you can place a one time purchase.  These bandanas are great for gifts, to thank the neighbor or co-worker, or to simply see if you want to join the monthly club.  Quantities are limited, so place your order today.  This month features two great prints in a flannel fabric.  Besides being super cute these bandanas will keep your pampered pet warm

Ella wouldn’t let me get a picture of her face.

I just had to show a picture of Seamus’s face with his fun Mohawk!

Hanah sent me two bandana’s, one for each of our doggies! I love the way you just thread the collar through the bandana. It stays on so much better than tying it. I don’t know about your dogs, but mine get to playing and then they pull them off.

Hanahs Bandanas is giving two lucky Songberries followers prizes, one will receive 1 bandana and the other will receive  a 3 month subscription! To enter just go to Hanahs Bandanas and look around and tell me what you think of Hanahs Bandanas, let me know in a comment and remember, you must be a Public follower of my blog to enter!

For extra entries you may~

1)Blog about this giveaway (with a link to me &Hanahs Bandanas )(leave me a link)~5 entries~leave 5 comments

2)Like Hanahs Bandanas on Facebook~2 entries~leave 2 comments

3)Like Songberries on Facebook~2 entries~leave 2 comments

4)Update your Facebook status with the giveaway~3 entries~leave 3 comments

5)Follow Songberries on Twitter~2 entries~leave 2 comments

6)Tweet the giveaway~3 entries~leave 3 comments

7)Grab my button(leave me a link to your blog&tell me where to find it)~5 entries~leave 5 comments

8)Sign up for my newsletter~6 entries~leave 6 comments

9)Sign up for any of my other giveaways(top right side of my blog)~2 entries each~leave 2 comments

10)Follow me on Networked Blogs(Right side of my blog)~3 entries~leave 3 Comments

I want to thank Hanahs Bandanas for sponsoring this giveaway. This giveaway is open to US  and Canada Residents only and will close June 7, 2011 at 12am.

~I received a product sample in order to write my review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed are mine.

 

A Dog Story About~True Christmas Love!

                

We had a dog when I was growing up, but I was more of a cat person. I always had a cat when I was growing up and I have always been drawn to cats. But alas, over the years I developed allergies and cats and dogs really made my allergies worse. Then we found out that Miniature Schnauzers don’t bother my allergies! I was so happy! I thought Wow, they are cute and they’re small, almost cat size. I was excited thinking about having a pet again!

We have had several little schnauzers over the years, but Seamus is the one that has truly captured my heart. He is my son Chauncey’s dog. He was 6 weeks old when we brought him home and so tiny and sweet! Of course being the mom and with Chauncey off at school all day most of the housebreaking and training fell on me. Soon I had Seamus following me around the house. When I would sit down to watch TV he would curl up on my feet. I think he felt like he was back in the puppy pile with his brothers and sisters. I don’t mind, he keeps my feet warm in the winter!

Seamus is such a great little dog with a big personality! He especially loves to go for a run! He loves to run a head on the trail and look for squirrels!. He also loves runs on country roads and making friends with the horses and cows. One time we had to pull cactus needles out of his leg. Yes, he can be a little to adventuress!

Seamus is always up for a ride in the car. When the weather is nice he likes to hang his head out the window. Have you ever tried that? I would rather put my arm out the window and let my hand dance in the wind. Well, that’s probably why Seamus likes to put his head out the window, the wind blows his beard and his Mohawk and they dance in the wind. Did you notice his little Mohawk in the picture?

Seamus has stolen my heart with all his little quirks! I know sometimes he thinks that he’s the same size as our friends English Sheep dog, yet he can curl up and take a nap on my lap. Speaking of quirks, it never fails that Seamus will be taking a nap at 8:30pm, we call it his last nap before bed time!

Seamus loves me and our family with his whole little heart! That kind of love, pure unselfish love, is what Christmas is all about. That kind of love is the best Christmas gift of all.

~This post is for a contest entry at Trupanion (Pet Insurance).

Sharing an Ice Cream Cone and Homemade Chili Cheese Hamburger Helper

We went for a drive the other day with the doggies. We stopped and got ice cream cones. I think Seamus and Ella enjoyed theirs. I wish they could figure out how to hold their beards back though, they had to have baths when they got home!

I found this recipe over at Chicken's in The Road and had to try it! Chauncey loves anything with Pasta. I don't buy Hamburger Helper very often so I love this alternative and it's easy and fast, can't get much better than that, except it tastes good! Be sure and check out all the variations Suzanne has for it on her blog!

Homemade Chili Cheese Hamburger Helper

1 pound ground beef
1 cup hot water
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Brown ground beef in a large skillet; drain.

Add hot water….

….milk….

….pasta….

….and your homemade sauce packet (corn starch, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, sugar, and paprika).

Bring to a boil.

Cover and simmer on low about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender.

In the last few minutes of cook time, stir in the cheese; cover the pot again for the final few minutes of cook time.

When the pasta is tender and the cheese is melted, turn off heat and uncover. Let mixture stand, uncovered, about five minutes. It will continue to thicken as it stands.

Dog pancakes and a new Tent!

Chauncey bought a new tent for scout camp next month. He put it up in the yard and has slept in it the last two nights. When I was a kid I slept out in the yard every night. I always slept under our two huge fir trees in the front yard. I loved looking at the stars.

We made Seamus a pancake the other day with some left over pancake batter. We put a dog bone in the middle and sprinkled it with dog food. Seamus loved it!

I know, kind of a weird thing to do? But if you're a dog lover, you'll understand, right?

Spiced Brown Sugar Coffee Cake

Here's my oldest son Mark with his cute wife Akvile!
This is Seamus in his Santa suit. He gets cold a lot in the winter.




He's so patient!




Notice the Mohawk and the fur going down the sweater.



Fifi loved being queen on the stool.



Don't you love the antlers!


She was hoping for extra treats wearing this Santa's favorite dress!




I love making coffee cakes for breakfast. This cake has a nice spice flavor and makes a good dessert cake too. My family really likes this coffee cake with a nice mug of hot chocolate.

Spiced Brown Sugar Coffee Cake Spiced Crumb Topping

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon mace (I used a Chai Seasoning)
1/2 teaspoon ginger
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces

Coffee Cake

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

For Spiced Crumb Topping

In a medium bowl whisk all the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter to form a small crumb. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8 or 9 inch spring-form pan with Pam.

For the Coffee Cake

In a bowl whisk the dry ingredients except the sugars.

In a mixer beat the sugars and butter for 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Mix in the dry ingreients alternately with the buttermilk. Poor into prepared pan and sprinkle with the crumb topping. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes. Loosen edges with a knife and remove the sides from the pan and put the cake on a serving platter.

A walk on the reservoir and Maple Muffins

We went up to the reservoir in Mantua for a little walk on the ice. I love this picture of Sloan!



There's ice under that snow!



My son Mark and his wife Akvile looking at a picture they just took.



Fifi is checking out the holes left behind by ice fishermen.



Chauncey is trying out his new sled on a nearby hill.


Chauncey running with Seamus on the ice.



Good boy Seamus!


Don't you just love maple! I came up with this recipe the other day, and everyone loved them! Simple and easy to make with a great maple flavor.
Maple Muffins

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon maple extract
1/4 cup oil
1 egg

Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk until mixed. Add the wet ingredients, stir well. Scoop into greased mini muffin tins, or regular muffin tins. Makes 24 mini or 12 regular muffins. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes for mini or 25 minutes for regular.

My First Giveaway, Works For Me Wednesday, Apple Picking and Apple Crisp

Today I'm linking up with We Are That Family in Works For Me Wednesday.

I'm going to share a secret of mine with you! I don't buy milk. I use powdered milk to cook with. I buy the great big box and I use it in all my cooking. It is so handy, I never run out, and it keeps me from going to the store. It seems like I always buy a few extra things when I run to the store anyway, so it's good when I can keep away from the store for as long as possible! My family doesn't drink milk, so I can get away with this. Don't worry, we've found other ways to get our calcuim. It Works For Me! Now head on over to We Are That Family and see what everyone else is up to!

Don't forget to check out my giveaway at the bottom of this post!

We found this great trail on our way to pick apples and couldn't resist checking it out! Of course we brought the dogs along. This is Sloan and Fifi.



The leaves were gorgeous! This is Chauncey and Seamus.

The bridges were fun!



Sloan even found a place to rest and enjoy the gorgeous fall day.



Chauncey likes picking apples.


This use to be an old apple orchard, and all the apples were just going to waste.


Ya gotta love free apples even if you have to hike a ways to get them!



Chauncey helped me make this Apple Crisp. We found the recipe in my favorite cookbook. I loved the nutmeg flavor in this recipe.

Apple Crisp

8 cups of apples, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup oatmeal
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 cup butter, softened

Heat oven to 375 and spray a 9x13 inch pan with Pam.

Measure all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and whisk to mix. Cut in the butter to make a crumb.

Put the apples in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the apples and spread out evenly. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream!






My First Giveaway! I'm so excited! Jesse from Jesse Janes Etsy store is offering a really cute Scrable Tile Pendant to the lucky winner in my giveaway! This little pendant is adorable! Don't ya just want it? Jesse has lots of cute pendants and key chains in her shop. So if you can't wait and want to purchase some, Jesse even has a great special going, 5 Scrabble Tile Pendants plus 5 Ball Chains for $32. These would be perfect for party gifts or favors, or Christmas presents. Remember, Christmas is coming up fast. So if you don't win you can get a still get a really good deal.

Here's the rules- don't forget to leave an email address or a way for me to contact you!

1. Visit Jesse Janes Etsy Store and leave me a comment telling me what your favorite item is -You get 1 entry

2. Become a follower of my blog, let me know in one comment - You get 5 entries

3. Make Jesse Janes Etsy Store a favorite, let me know in a comment -You get 1 entry

4. Blog about my giveaway, let me know in one comment and leave me the link to your blog - You get 5 entries

This contest will end Wednesday, November 4 at 3pm.

A Hike, Turkey And Pasta and a Contest!

I took the kids on a little hike after school. It was such a gorgeous afternoon.



The kids found a swing over the creek and had a little fun!


Chauncey was really good at the swing, he didn't even get wet!


Chauncey found a great place to leave Seamus while he played on the swing.



Chauncey and Seamus found another way across the creek!



I was poking around over at Megan's Cookin the other day looking for some ideas for dinner for the week. I came across this recipe, and it looked simple and quick. It turned out really good, and it made a lot! I froze half of it for another meal, and there was still enough for three people for two nights! I love casserole cooking.

Turkey And Pasta

1 lb Penne Pasta
1 lb ground turkey, I used hamburger
1 jar spaghetti sauce, I used homemade marinara sauce
1 can Cheddar Soup
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

Heat oven to 375. Mix everything but 1 cup of the grated cheese. Pour into a 9x13 inch pan and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup grated cheese. Bake until bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.


Heat over to Design Dazzle for a great contest!

Head over to Make It and Take It for another contest!

Time on the swing, Tomato and Cucumber Salad and a contest

This is Chauncey swinging in our front yard with his dog Seamus. Can you believe a dog likes to swing? I think it's attention!





I came across this recipe the other day in a cookbook. I was looking for a salad that would use up some extra tomatoes and cucumbers that I had. I love this salad! It is so colorful and easy to make! It would be good with some mozzarella cheese in it too! I doubled the recipe, to use up all the tomatoes. It tasted even better the next day!

Tomato and Cucumber Salad

2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 large tomatoes, cubed
2 small cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes
2 green onions, sliced
4 radishes, sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, I only had dried, so I just threw some in
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, I only had dried, so I just sprinkled some on

Whisk the first 5 ingredients in a bowl; add the tomatoes and remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Serves 4-6.

Head on over to It's So Very Cheri for a great contest!

Another great contest is at Sweet Life In The Valley! You could win something from Down East Basics! I love their Clothes!