Wilton's Mega Sized Cookie Sheet & Muffin Pan Won't Leave You Wilted! + Recipe Ideas!

   

I don't know about you, but our kids seem to eat us out of house and home sometimes and they are only a toddler and a school aged child! I'll make a dozen cookies or muffins and they are gone before I can say "Would you like a ...?" Ok, so maybe it's not truly that quick, but you know what I mean! What's it going to be like when they are teenagers?! I'm scared of what the grocery bill will be when that time comes! Scared I tell you! 

I started freezer cooking recently and it's been one of the best things ever! You simply take some time to be sure to get all the ingredients for the items you plan to make and freeze. Then you set aside one day to do a large batch of cookies, muffins, casseroles, meals on the stovetop, or to dump all required ingredients in a large Ziploc bags to simply be thawed and thrown into your slowcooker at a later date.

It may seem like a lot until you get the hang of it.  But it's not hard! You're making one mess on that day and it saves you time and money! And it ensures that you always have healthy meals that you can turn to on those days when you aren't sure what to make for dinner, or when you've had a busy day. And if you get your spouse and children involved in helping do the prep work, it takes no time to get everything ready and frozen. All while teaching your kids life skills in the process! 

I recently discovered Wilton's oversized Perfect Results Non-Stick Baking Sheets and Perfect Results Premium Non-Stick 24 Cavity Muffin Pans!  Being able to cook large batches with one tray or muffin tin is a godsend, especially for parents with young kids who don't have the luxury of time. 

Most large sized cookie sheets are approximately 11" x 17". The oversized Wilton Perfect Results Non-Stick Baking Sheet is 15" x 21" gives you a lot more space. Whether you are baking a large batch of cookies, individual pita pizzas or anything in between, you will be able to fit a lot more on there than your typical large sized cookie sheet! This is especially important when making larger batches, or baking for a family that has lots of kids! The cookie sheets are great! So far, we have used them to make cookies, Slow Cooker Jalapeno Popper Chicken Taquitos, (the tomatillo sauce recipe for them is to die for!) and mini pizzas. 

The oversized Wilton Perfect Results Premium Non-Stick 24 Cavity Muffin Pan gives you the power to bake 2 dozen muffins, cupcakes or other items at one time, in one pan! This is great if you are baking muffins for school lunches that can easily be frozen! Or instead of using 2 traditional muffin pans to make 1 batch of boxed cake mix, or waiting until the 1st pan is done baking to re-fill it for a second round, you can do it all in one shot!  You could also bake some Bacon Breakfast Cupcakes to save you some time in the mornings when you are rushed! I found a healthier recipe online to make a basic muffin batter. The recipe gives you the opportunity to mix and match your ingredients at the end so you can use up what you have on hand, or make a few different variations. You can easily double or triple this recipe. This allows you to make only one actual batch of batter, but then split it up in different bowls, and fold in different fruit, nuts, shredded veggies, etc to make a variety of flavoured muffins in one shot! I actually quadrupled the recipe and made a dozen each of Blueberry & Toasted Coconut, Apple Cinnamon, Banana Raisin & Lemon Cranberry. (The basic batter recipe gives you ideas on what you can add to the batter, if you aren't sure where to start.) 

I was happy with the results from both pans after using them for a variety of items. Both the baking sheets and the muffin pans have a limited 10 year warranty, are very sturdy, and have a non-stick coating. You can practically wipe them clean with a paper towel!  Even though they are oversized, they do fit in a regular sized oven. While they are also in fact dishwasher safe, it would be a challenge to get them into a typical residential dishwasher. I could not get it to fit in mine, due to the size of the pan.  You might also have to be a bit creative in terms of finding a suitable storage solution for them, particularly for the muffin pan which is higher. But they should fit in most stove drawers underneath the oven. They do all fit in mine. 

These oversized baking sheets and muffin pans can be found at a variety of retailers such as Winners, Homesense, Kitchen Stuff Plus, Bulk Barn as well as some other stores and independent retailers. Some stores only carry either the cookie sheet or the muffin pan, while some carry both. If you are looking for a specific item, be sure to check online or call ahead to be sure your store carries it. The baking sheets retail in Canada for approximately $18.99 and the muffin pans sell for approximately $22.99.  

Happy baking y'all! 

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post.*****

   

SugarBooger - It's Not What You Think!

   

Whenever you have a product with the word "booger" in it, kids are sure to be intrigued! Ore Originals is a small Southern California company, and their Sugarbooger brand is no different! Except for maybe that the parents will love it too! LOL

Designed with young kids in mind, Ore Originals' Ocean Zipee! Backpack is made of hand washable, well-constructed cotton & nylon canvas, and seems more durable than most school bags for little kids that are on the market. It weighs only 7 ounces, and is perfect for little kids! The sturdy zipper has a carabiner clip on it for attaching little key chains, and other little accessories they might be into. The zipper pulls have oversized zipper fobs on them to make it easy for little fingers to grasp and hold onto while opening and closing.  There is a place to mark who the bag belongs to, and the front zippered pocket adds extra space, allowing for smaller items to be secured easily. The mesh pocket on the size for water bottles is also a great feature, allowing for more room inside the backpack. I did find the backpack straps to be a little bit narrow, but they are well padded and adjustable, so it's likely not an issue. Price: $28.00US.

The Ore Originals' Ocean Zipee! Lunch Tote is made of a denim like cotton canvas. The thicker fabric ensures this lunch box will last a lot longer than most, and the inner lining can be easily wiped clean. It's machine washable and is waterproof and stain resistant. The main compartment is deeper than most kids' lunch boxes. I love this, as it ensures that you can pack your child's lunch without forcing or jamming things inside. The Ore Originals Good Lunch Box (or another similar size container) fits perfectly inside, and leaves enough room to add in an ice pack or some extra snacks along with the container itself. There is also a mesh pocket inside that will keep an ice pack secure, and along with the thick insulation of the tote itself, helps keep cold food chilled until the lunch hour. And hopefully until they get home if there are any leftovers to reduce food waste. In addition to the main compartment, you will find a pocket in the front of the lunch bag to be useful for small items such as cutlery, napkins, a love note etc... Like the Zipee! Backpack, the zipper pulls on the Lunch Tote also have zipper fobs, and includes an information card to write your child's information on. It is BPA, phthalate, lead and PVC free, and meets or exceeds Canadian, U.S. and European safety standards. Price: $20.00US

I love a matching set, and the Ocean Good Lunch Small Snack Containers (they also come in Large) are not only super cute and the same design as the Ocean Zipee! Backpack, but they are fully functional & practical. These small clear containers are perfect for snacks and come in both a 1/2 cup and 1 1/4 cup measure. They are freezer and top rack dishwasher safe. They're BPA free, shatter & scratch resistant as well as resists odours and stains. They are also stackable and leak-proof! Price: $7.50US.

The Ore Originals' Good Lunch Box is designed to fit into Ore Originals' Zipee! Lunch Tote. This container is made of food safe, nontoxic, lead-free, PVC-free and phthalate free polypropylene. Like the Lunch Tote, the Good Lunch Box is quite deep and has 3 compartments that are perfect for keeping items separate, in keeping with the current bento box trend. We all know that for some kids, having one item touch another can make lunch a tear jerker! The container is microwaveable, freezer & top rack dishwasher safe. It is airtight, but it does state to avoid liquids just in case. The Good Lunch Box measures 8 1/2" wide, 5 1/1" deep and 2 1/2" high. Price: $7.00US.

Overall the Sugarbooger brand offers a wide variety of fun & trendy durable child friendly items. They come in several gender specific or unisex designs which you can mix and match or buy the complete matching set! Yes, it may cost more than your typical supplies at your discount department store, but you really do get what you pay for in this case! 

Ore Originals Sugarbooger products are available both online at Ore Originals, and at various independent retailers throughout Canada and the U.S. To check out these items in person, visit their Retailer Locator page, email them at customerservice@oreoriginals.com or simply call them directly at (800) 367-2675.

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post.*****

Show Me Your Paw Patrol Cookie Badge!‏

 

Sometimes, you just need to be rescued..... Sometimes it's for something serious, and sometimes it's to make your child's birthday dreams come true. The Paw Patrol gang are usually the ones that do the rescuing, but this time, it was CheapCookieCutters.com!

This show, which is on TVO here in Canada, and Nick Jr in the U.S., is loved by my son with a capital L! Being that it's a brand new program, it is very difficult to find anything that is legitimately Paw Patrol, except for craft sites like Etsy. Add to that a child's birthday party theme request and we have a celebratory dilemma.

I went online searching for badge cookie cutters as I wanted to fabricate a Paw Patrol logo for his cake or make decorative cookies as part of the loot bags. I found only 2 websites offering a badge. One was out of stock, and the other was CheapCookieCutters.com!

I contacted them, and got a very prompt response. I had it shipped to me and voila - Paw Patrol themed cookies by InfoMommy were born -  thanks to the creativity of those at CheapCookieCutters.com! (And to the inventor of edible icing! Without that, my son's beloved Chase the dog picture would never have been featured on the cookie! LOL) 

CheapCookieCutters.com has over 2,000 cookie cutters available and if you are searching for something that they don't actually have, you can customer order! How paw-riffic is that? They guarantee to ship within 2 business days and are made in the U.S., giving you great quality. Almost all of their cookie cutters are made of steel plated tin and are sturdy and a pleasure to use.

If you are looking for something unique, or for your run of the mill cookie cutter design, consider CheapCookieCutters.com. If you are searching for all things Paw Patrol for a party, check out the Nick Jr website. They have all sorts of printables that you can use to plan and decorate. While your child might think that these adorable puppy characters are heroic, he or she will think you are the real hero! 

You can use this great recipe from Company's Coming to make your next Sugar Cookie creation!

Ingredients

3/4 cup Butter, softened    
3/4 cup Granulated sugar 
1 Large egg
1 tsp Vanilla 
2 cups All-purpose flour (I use whole wheat flour) 
1 tsp Baking soda    
1tsp Cream of tartar
1/4 tsp Salt     
1/4 tsp Ground cardamom (optional)

Directions

Cream margarine and sugar in large bowl. Add egg. Beat well. Add vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Combine remaining 5 ingredients in small bowl. Add to margarine mixture in 2 additions, mixing well after each addition until no dry flour remains. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Shape each portion into flattened disc. Wrap each with waxed paper. Chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Discard waxed paper from 1 disc. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch (3 mm) thickness. Cut out circles with lightly floured 2 inch (5 cm) cookie cutter. Roll out scraps to cut more circles. Arrange about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on greased cookie sheets.

Bake in 350°F (175°C) oven for about 10 minutes until edges are just golden. Let stand on cookie sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool. Cool cookie sheets between batches. Repeat with remaining disc. Yield: Approximately 7 dozen cookies.

***This sample product was provided free of charge.

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post.*****