12 Weeks Until Thanksgiving, Time to Get Ready

It’s only 12 weeks until Thanksgiving! As a first-time Thanksgiving host for my family I have already started my prep, and I have learned a few tips along the way.

The first thing that I noticed when I began my Thanksgiving prep was that I just didn’t have the right tools to get the job done. I definitely needed to get a roasting pan for the turkey itself, but I was also in need of a selection of different sized casserole dishes to put all of my sides in to bake and serve. After all, what’s Thanksgiving without the green bean casserole and the sweet potatoes? Luckily for me, DealDash has a great selection of kitchen items.

 

Speaking of delicious casseroles, here are a few recipes that you might like to try if you are going to be hosting your family’s Thanksgiving this year.

 

Classic Green Bean Casserole – This is probably the exact recipe that your Mother or Grandmother got off of a soup can 40 years ago.

Ingredients:

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk 
1 teaspoon soy sauce 
1 dash black pepper 
4 cups cooked cut green beans 
1 1/3 cups French’s® French Fried Onions 

Directions:

1- Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.

2- Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling.  Stir the bean mixture.  Sprinkle with the remaining onions.

3- Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.

You’re done! Even people who don’t normally like green beans usually enjoy this casserole.

Another favorite around the Thanksgiving table is another seasonal casserole, the Sweet Potato Casserole. If you aren’t familiar with Sweet Potato Casserole, it’s based on sweet potato pie, a favorite in the South. This famous Thanksgiving side dish has a delicious history. The marshmallows were added by Janet McKenzie Hill, the founder of the Boston Cooking-School Magazine, in 1917, when the marshmallow evolved from a specialty confection into an everyday treat. If you’ve never had it you should definitely give it a try this year. Here is a quick and easy recipe.

Ingredients:

4 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes 

2 tablespoons butter 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cooking spray 

3 cups miniature marshmallows 

Directions:

1- Preheat oven to 425°.

2- Place sweet potatoes in a shallow baking pan lined with foil. Bake at 425° for 1 hour or until tender. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.

3- Peel sweet potatoes; place in a large bowl. Add butter and next 3 ingredients (through cinnamon); mash with a potato masher until pureed. Spoon potato mixture into a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.

4- Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Top with marshmallows; bake an additional 10 minutes or until marshmallows are lightly browned.

That’s it! If you don’t tell the kids what it’s made of they will be sure to tear into the marshmellowy goodness.

If you are going to be hosting your family’s Thanksgiving this year be sure to check out DealDash. There are so many things there that you will be able to use for Thanksgiving dinner, but also be able to incorporate into your everyday use as well. Some examples of things you might want to look for in the kitchen section are: knife sets, pot & pan sets, cutlery, baking items, and much more. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

 

1000 Free Bids go to…

The best photo of the week goes to Cece Heins. Congratulations! You just won 1000 free DealDash bids for posting this great photo of the Brother Sewing Machine (valued at $206.7) that you won for only $44.83!

I can't believe my good fortune! I won this Brother Computerized Sewing Machine SC6600A for only $44.83 (retails for $207) and 148 bids! I've also won a Kitchenaide Stand Mixer and lots of other items. It's fun and easy. I LOVE DEALDASH and thank you...again! You should try it!!
I can’t believe my good fortune! I won this Brother Computerized Sewing Machine SC6600A for only $44.83 (retails for $207) and 148 bids! I’ve also won a Kitchenaide Stand Mixer and lots of other items. It’s fun and easy. I LOVE DEALDASH and thank you…again! You should try it!!

Have you collected your free bids for your posting your winning photos to Facebook? If not, you’re missing out on hundreds of free bids and a chance to win 1000 bids awarded weekly for the best photo. Learn about how you can claim your free bids here.

Looking forward to seeing your photos!

Fun in the Kitchen

Do you love to cook? Well, even if you don’t, here are some ways that you can have fun in the kitchen.

One of my favorite ways to have fun in the kitchen is to have unique kitchen gadgets and fun-colored small appliances. There are a few popular brands that make an awesome array of different colored small appliances to appease anyone looking for something a little “different.”

 

There are also a number of lesser-known brands from other countries such as France and Finland that make really adorable kitchen items that definitely ramp up the fun factor.

 

 

Another great way to have fun in the kitchen is to get your kids involved! Babies love to sit on the floor while you cook and play with pots and pans, while kids as young as 3 can learn to crack an egg or pour and mix for you. Elementary school-aged children can really be a lot of help to you, with very specific safety instructions and close supervision they can learn how to chop veggies and fruits, measure ingredients, and read to you from a cookbook so you don’t have to keep wiping your hands off before you touch the book. If you still don’t like cooking by the time these trained tiny chefs go to Middle school, well, maybe they can take over the cooking for you!

 

 

 

My last suggestion for you to help you have more fun in the kitchen is to get some gadgets that you don’t really need, but ones that make your life easier. Personally, my favorite kitchen gadget is my stand mixer, which I definitely don’t need, but it comes in handy now and again, and it always looks beautiful sitting on my kitchen counter. My sister is a little more practical, her favorite kitchen gadget is a margarita maker. It gets significantly more use than my stand mixer, and everyone gets excited when she brings it out of the pantry and yells “Margarita Time!!!” If we’re really being honest here, maybe my sister is the one you should be asking for advice on how to have fun in the kitchen!

 

I hope this article has encouraged you to try some of my strategies for having fun in the kitchen. If you’re interested in getting some items to help you with cooking at home head on over to DealDash. DealDash has food processors, stand mixers, cookware, and plenty of other items that you can use. Check out the Kitchen & Appliances category and I’m sure that you’ll find something that you can use to make your time in the kitchen a little more fun. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

That’s My Pet: Cat

Did you know that over 60 million cats are owned in the United States, and that 30-37% of American households have a cat? It’s estimated that over 60% of American households have at least one pet.

In this DealDash Blog series we are highlighting different pets, give some basic facts about pet ownership, and hopefully help you make informed decisions about your new furry, feathered, or finned family member.

Today’s pet is the cat. Unlike some more unusual pets, everyone has owned or at least know someone who has owned a cat. However, it’s said that you never own a cat, you just share a home with them, feed them, empty their litter box, and if you’re lucky, occasionally get some affection from them.

I was just joking above, but it’s no laughing matter that a house cat needs it’s owner to survive.  Indoor cats are totally dependent on their owners for all their needs — food, water, medical attention, exercise, shelter, and even companionship. For many people the benefits of cat ownership outweigh the daily grind of chores, but for others, their lifestyles make it impossible, especially for people who like to travel for more than a long weekend.

Before you make the commitment to bringing home a new cat or kitten please keep in mind that they will not only need to be spayed or neutered, they will also need a variety of shots, the suggested core vaccines are feline panleukopenia (distemper), feline viral rhinotracheitis, feline calicivirus, and rabies. In addition to shots it’s also advised that you apply a flea medication to them monthly. If your cat doesn’t ever leave the house or associate with other animals (such as a dog that goes outside to potty) then you might be able to get away with skipping the flea treatments.

Cats are relatively simple in their needs inside the home. Here’s a quick list of things that you will need for you new pet as well as a few bonus options.

  • Food & water bowl
  • Food
  • Litter box, litter, litter scooper
  • Scratching post (optional)
  • Toys (optional)
  • Brush (optional)
  • Cat bed (optional)

I hope that this article has helped you understand a little bit about what is involved in owning a cat or kitten. If you are in the market for cat beds, cat toys, a pet store gift card, or any other pet-related items head on over to DealDash‘s “Other” section and see what they have up for bid today. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!