Red Velvet Momma Loves, Loves, Loves Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa

*** I'll be posting some of my favourite things on my blog.  I haven't received compensation or incentive to review any products.  Some of these goodies are found in the USA, so for my Canadian friends - you'll have to hunt these down!  Some products are uniquely Canadian. ***

After having read about this product on-line, I knew I had to try it. Now it's the only baking cocoa I will use. It has a deep chocolate flavour and darker colour intensity. I've used it for cakes, hot chocolate, frosting, cream cheese dark chocolate frosting (!), and for ice cream. I really wish that it was sold in Canada. But until they do, I'll be buying multiple packages on my cross-border shopping treks.

Red Velvet Momma Loves, Loves, Loves Quebec Maple Syrup

*** I'll be posting some of my favourite things on my blog.  I haven't received compensation or incentive to review any products.  Some of these goodies are found in the USA, so for my Canadian friends - you'll have to hunt these down!  Some products are uniquely Canadian. ***

It's that time of year again!  Spring!  (Well, almost) Here in Eastern Canada that means Maple Syrup.  Cabane à Sucre.  Sugaring Off.  Sugar Shack.  Whatever you want to call it, it means lots of scrumptious, sweet, Maple Syrup.

I love a great day at a Cabane à Sucre in Quebec.  Where you eat until you have to undo your pants and everything is covered or baked with Maple Syrup.  We're lucky here; the beginning of Spring not only means mud, the smell of dog poop and crocus buds.  But sugary confections baked with Maple Syrup.  I prefer the "real" stuff.  Not "sirop de poteau" (fake syrup - telephone pole syrup!)  

As soon as I see displays of these glorious cans I stock up!  I only buy Quebec Maple Syrup.  The Ontario stuff just doesn't taste the same to me, and yes Vermont has some great Maple Syrup - but it too pales in comparison to sirop d'érable.

 

So go ahead, make some maple baked goods, pour it on your pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage.  Dip your finger in the liquid gold or pour a little in a shot-glass and enjoy!  Spring only happens once a year . . . 

Red Velvet Momma Loves, Loves, Loves Luzianne Iced Tea Bags

*** I'll be posting some of my favourite things on my blog.  I haven't received compensation or incentive to review any products.  Some of these goodies are found in the USA, so for my Canadian friends - you'll have to hunt these down!  Some products are uniquely Canadian. ***

I love sweet tea.  From south of the Mason-Dixon line.  I live north of the Mason-Dixon line.  I live north of the border.  You can't get sweet tea here.  You can have hot tea, almost too many varieties really.  Tea Lattes, green tea, white tea, tea in ginger ale; is it really too much to ask for a decent iced sweet tea?

When we travel south I can't wait for even a McDonald's sweet tea.  I'm that starved for the yummy sweet caffeine slurp from a straw!  So I looked for "recipes" for sweet tea and found out about Luzianne.  It's from Louisiana, hence the name, and it's made for iced tea.  I lucked out when I found it at the SuperTarget at Mall of Millenia in Orlando.  And it was on sale!  I bought six boxes, and now whenever Fred travels south for work or we head down to Walt Disney World, I stock up.  And I make it almost all the time.

Yum.  Going to brew a pitcher now.

Red Velvet Momma Loves, Loves, Loves Red Velvet Cake Mix

*** I'll be posting some of my favourite things on my blog.  I haven't received compensation or incentive to review any products.  Some of these goodies are found in the USA, so for my Canadian friends - you'll have to hunt these down!  Some products are uniquely Canadian. ***


It's only appropriate for Red Velvet Momma's first loves, loves, loves post to be Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix!

Sometimes you have a Red Velvet emergency, or a hankering; and you need some tasty cupcakes FAST.  I know these things happen to me.  You can't buy this in Canada, so when we head to the States, I stock up.

I don't use cake mixes very often, my chocolate cake recipe is scrumptious, if I do say so myself.  But I do use this one.  I don't use canned frosting, I always have cream cheese in the fridge, and icing sugar kicking around; so it's easy to whip up some icing (frosting?  I'm not sure which name I like better). 

There will be a tutorial soon, my birthday's coming up, and I want these for my dessert!