Last week, I had the opportunity to bake with Great Value refrigerated cinnamon rolls and cookie dough. Read this post for more details about my party plans and the Great Value products I used to pull it off. My Project Playdate friends and their kids arrived as planned on Friday morning. My husband, who was also home that morning, was chomping at the bit for breakfast. We had already worked out a deal: breakfast in exchange for help in wrangling the kids. I would've made him breakfast and he would have helped me out anyway, but sometimes we like to pretend that we're driving a hard bargain. Marriage is funny like that, but hey, whatever works. Keep Reading

Last month, I had the opportunity to bake with Great Value refrigerated biscuit and crescent roll dough. Read those posts here (recipes) and here (party). For December, I picked up refrigerated cinnamon rolls and sugar cookie dough. This whole shop-for-dough-in-the refrigerated-section is new territory for me. In the past I'd push my grocery cart right on by without a second thought. I have no issue with convenience food in moderation, though; it really can be a life saver when time or money is tight. December often fits both requirements for many of us. I have also found refrigerated doughs to be a huge help when feeding larger groups. Keep Reading

Being in the kitchen is one of my favorite comforts. In fact, it's my default. When life is stressful I retreat to the kitchen. When it's time to celebrate, you guessed it, I head to the kitchen. It's the place I relax, teach my kids and enjoy being creative. Here is a list of my most favorite small appliances in the kitchen in the order that I adore them. These tools are a great addition to any cook's kitchen if you have one on your Christmas list. :: Cuisinart Food Processor -- This is THE most used appliance in my kitchen. I make cookie bites for the kids after school, crust for pastries, dips, cut vegetables, grate cheese, and so much more. My Keep Reading