HOT + SWEET Smoked Spanish Paprika Powder adds a dash of flair and flavor to my recipes #SmokedPaprika

I love to cook and bake. Paprika is one of the more interesting herbs that you can use in your recipes to add some flair. You can add it to chile or eggplant dishes and it really brings out the flavor. I was excited to try two new kinds of Paprika from KIVA that are both a bit different. Paprika can vary widely and there are actually tons of varieties. I received one bottle of sweet and one bottle of hot smoked Spanish paprika powder.

This is not any paprika either. KIVA imports their beautiful smoked paprika from the famous La Vera region of Spain. Following a century old recipe, hand-harvested peppers are smoked dried over holm oak for a minimum of 14 days. This gives the KIVA paprika its unique rich flavor.

They are both really different though they are the same spice. Sweet Smoked Paprika has a deep, rich flavor with a slightly sweet undertone.
On the other hand, the Hot Smoked Paprika has a deep, rich, more spicy flavor.  Here is a simple recipe that I have made before that tastes wonderful. You can use either variety of Paprika depending on your personal preferences. Here is a fun appetizer or first course where you can use your paprika. I must credit Food for the idea and recipe. 

Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Crostini

Ingredients

• 4 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
• 2 tablespoons oil, from the tomatoes (or extra virgin olive oil)
• 8 ounces goat cheese
• 1 bunch basil leaves

• Crostini

• 1 loaf French baguette
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Slice the baguette into 1/4 thick slices.
2. Brush the slices lightly with the olive oil.
3. Place on a baking sheet and toast in a 425 oven until browned.
4. Cool completely.
5. Combine the sundried tomatoes, oil and goat cheese in a food processor and puree until very smooth. There should not be any lumps.
6. On each crostini place a small basil leaf, or half a larger leaf.
7. Spread the goat cheese mixture on the crostini, covering half way up the basil leaf.
8. Arrange on a platter and garnish platter with additional basil.

A little bit about KIVA and their spices. Their paprika is only made in small batches to ensure optimum aroma, color and flavor.  Think about all the places this paprika can add flavor and depth to rice, meat, seafood, stews, soups, eggs and even vegetables. At Kiva, they strive to provide you with innovative spices from around the world. They do this by ensuring that the food they share tastes great, is healthy and is of the highest quality. Kiva remains committed to using only ingredients that are sourced directly from local farmers that practice sustainable and eco-friendly methods.

You can pick up Kiva Hot or Sweet Smoked Spanish Paprika on Amazon for easy shopping anytime. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Juju Aroma Tea Tree Essential Oil is great for a myriad of uses plus a discount and a giveaway #JujuAroma

Tea Tree Essential Oil is a wonderful little trick to have in your beauty bag. First of all it has a fresh and clean aroma. JuJu Aroma Tea Tree Essential Oil comes in a perfectly sized 10ml bottle too.  If you are a stickler for 100% pure, unadulterated essential oils, Juju Aroma has them. They have lots of other oils in addition to Tea Tree Essential Oil. I use them for all kinds of beauty needs...they are great. Blend Juju Aroma Tea Tree oil into butters, oils, creams and lotions for a fresh scent and healthy blend. Essential oils are distilled from organic, aromatic plants that are grown, harvested and processed all over the world. They have been ensured to stay in their purest state.

The quality does vary from brand to brand and I know personally I have seen a huge variation. Some oils just don't have the quality that I demand. I like that all of Juju Aroma essential oils are tested with Gas Chromatography (GC). This guarantees that the oils are pure and the amount of chemical components are within the predicted norm.  I know each time I open a bottle of JuJu Aroma Essential Oil it is going to be a quality product.  They even look like a high quality product on the exterior of the bottle. All of the JuJu bottles are made of a semi-transparent black glass. They offer the most protection for high quality essential oils.

JuJu Aroma even uses special caps for safety. They are tamper-resistant with twist-and-break seals. They also have built in, oil resistant dropper inserts. They are really focused on ensuring that  clients are protected and feel confident with JuJu Aroma oils.You can see, smell and feel the difference.  You can use tea tree oil for so many things from skin irritations to blending it with other oils for beauty creams, lotions and butters. Let me know what works for you, I love to share.

Take a peek at their label. You can see right above here. The quality is quite apparent. The labels on the JuJu Aroma bottles utilize high quality hot stamping technology with silk screen printing. Everyone spills a bit of oil from time to time even if you are careful. It has happened to me too. When you accidentally spill some oil on the label, you can wipe it off easily without worrying that it will stick onto the label. JuJu Aroma has offered a special discount to readers of Glamamamas Goodies too. New customers can get 10% off coupon here.

You can pick up this Tea Tree Essential Oil on the Juju Aroma website for easy shopping anytime. Meanwhile, don't forget to enter my Rafflecopter giveaway. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Our 2015 Disney Side @Home Party with Disney Villians, cool tie-dye and mani-pedis this year #disneyside

Disclosure:  I was given the opportunity to host a Disney Side @Home Celebration from Disney Parks and Mom Select.  I received complimentary products to host the party as well.  As always, my opinions are my own.

We were so lucky again this year to have the opportunity to host another Disney Side @Home Party. How is it possible to schedule your party on a blizzard twice in two years? That is what happens when you live in the Northeast or the Mid-Atlantic region these days. So we learn to reschedule and relax a little. It is all about having fun and letting down our hair a little. 

I was thrilled to be a part of the the Disney Side family again and so was my own family. We had a ton of fun last year with our Frozen them because there was a ton of snow. What could be more fun that an @Home Celebration Party no matter what the theme?   We had an amazing Disney Villians party with moms, dads and kids all joining in on the fun.   The chilly weather had all the guests running in the door to escape the cold.  It was a happy Disney Side day in my home this past weekend. Truly it was fun to get everyone together...it has been such a challenge this winter with all the snow.

Here is our cake making process. It was so neat to bake all the colors and decide how to set it up. 

My tween and I worked on the cake together.  She had so much fun using the easy to follow Duff Tie-Dye Cake Mix.  It was a blast and a fun way to work in measuring and following directions with mixing all the colors.  The end result came out very pretty and delicious too.  A totally new twist on a tie dyed Mickey Mouse cake that was all fun! Her friends were so impressed that she made that colorful cake and once everyone tried it they were totally wowed. It tasted almost as pretty as it looked. Several of the moms were asking where they could get it and I mentioned that I saw it just last week at Walmart...they had a huge display!

Prior to the party I cleaned the house and washed all the dish towels so everything would be fresh.  My laundry routine went super fast using the All Mighty Pacs that came in my party package.  I had not tried them before though I had used All detergents.  These are a nice innovation the eliminates the need for measuring.  Perfect for a busy mom like me who was running around prepping for a party but an easy option to get laundry done quickly anytime! 

While I was running around getting ready for the party I tucked my Wisk sample into my luggage. Wisk is a perfect option for everyday laundry but the sample is ideal for business trips and weekends away. You can always use it to wash lingerie in the sink or use the whole packet in the machine when you are traveling. 

The kids loved all the Cinderella pins...they have been seeing all the advertisements on TV so they were all scheming to get the moms to take them for the premiere. 

The kids were further scheming when they saw the luggage tags. Mary had a Disney trip already booked for June so her daughters were excited to use the tags on their luggage. They wanted to put them on right away when they got home! The other kids were asking when they could go back to Disney and it got all the moms chatting and reminiscing about previous visits.  We were discussing how different each visit is depending on the ages of the kids.  We were saying how fun it would be with some of the kids almost at that tween age where they are a little more independent but still can enjoy the little kid and big kid rides. Some of the moms and I were thinking it would be fun to do a group trip at the end of the summer.  We were considering a trip before school starts so we were going to talk more next month. 

We had some fun snacks and treats but we also had some hearty food.  I can't have people over without feeding them. My hubby made a big casserole and I made a lasagna. 

The kids had a great time with the Disney trivia too...they were so competitive.  We were laughing as they answered over one another in a race to get the answers out first. 

As things wound down I pulled out the final bit of fun. All the kids were tired from running around.  It was a good time to cool them down and work on a puzzle. I set it up on the dining room table and it worked out beautifully. The moms and I were able to enjoy a nice cup of coffee and chat a bit more before they rounded up everyone to head home. It was a fun time for everyone. I sure hope we can put together a Disney trip...it might be fun to do a caravan road trip down to Florida instead of flying....that would be a real adventure that the kids would remember for all time. Nothing better than finding your Disneyside.

Sommeliers Preference Wine Aerator makes a lovely gift for any wine afficianado #sommelierspreference

If you love wine like I do you probably have been looking for a good wine aerator. It can be a challenge without spending a ton of money but finding a quality option. I finally found a great one on Amazon recently. Make it simple and try the perfect Wine Aerator from Sommeliers Preference and make your life easy. Enjoy your wine to the fullest. Sommelier's Preference Wine Aerator let's you forget having to wait and wait for the wine to breathe No more waiting. This tool lets you enjoy the best wine in seconds by using the aerator. It has a beautiful classic design that is free of side vents that can cause blockage. Sometimes the most simple options are the best. This is one of those cases.

The package is totally ready for gift giving too. This aerator does not have issues with neck leaking and fits perfectly too. The  Sommeliers Preference Wine Aerator uses a multi-stage aeration process that works seamlessly and much more effectively than ones I have used previously.
Sommeliers Preferences actually uses a globally patented multi-stage apparatus to aerate the wine efficiently right as it is poured. It lets youYou experience even greater depth and range of flavor with no waiting.

This Sommeliers Preference Wine Aerator uses a unique design that actually xygenates the wine in 3 stages: First the umbrella shaped spray plate splays out the wine, then he mixture is separated further via a 32 hole Drizzle Plate. The final step has the air drawn from the top of the unit and it is infused into the mixture prior to delivery to the glass. This multi-stage aeration process allows thorough and efficient oxygenation of the wine. Tannins which give wine the bitter taste associated with un-aerated wines are softened and dissipated. In essence this Sommeliers Preference Wine Aerator provides me with a much smoother drinking experience.  The aerator provides a perfectly balanced finish while accentuating the aroma and flavor of the wine every time.

The complete Sommeliers Preference Package Includes:

• Sommeliers Preference Wine Aerator. 
• A superb, easy-fit aerator stand- Elegant High Class Gift Box
• Velveteen Transportation Bag
• Instruction Booklet. 
• Online Mystery Bonus
• LIFE TIME Complete Satisfaction Money Back Guarantee

You can pick up this wine aerator on Amazon for easy shopping anytime. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.