Celebrate National Coffee Day with International Delight Iced Coffee

Today is National Coffee Day and in honor of this awesome day, we celebrated by throwing a party!

I invited some of my favorite ladies from my local playgroup over to enjoy a fun, relaxing morning of coffee, food, and chatter while our kids ran around us. It always seems easier to enjoy time with my friends when the kids are entertained by each other and contained in the house. The conversation flows more freely and we aren't up chasing them every few minutes.

I set out some glasses and International Delight's Iced Coffee next to my Tassimo so that my guests would have options of iced or hot coffee and the ladies loved it! Since it's in the mid-80s today many opted for iced over hot to cool down.

And no party is complete without some munchies! I set out some greek yogurt, pumpkin granola, and strawberries to munch on while my french toast casserole baked in the oven. Oh yes... I made it again!

The ladies had a little fun with the chalkboard signs I set out and played with what they wanted to say while enjoying their iced coffee. One of my good friends just had a little girl (you can see photos of her here) and we were pretty clever with her sign ;)

Once the french toast was ready I set it out with the cinnamon rolls one of the mamas brought over and we dug in. I added a few fresh strawberries on top of my serving of casserole and as always, enjoyed the deliciousness! Everyone went back for seconds (that's how good it is) and the dish was completely empty within the hour.

We got to chat a bit more as our kids enjoyed some food and I loved how easy the conversation flowed as we sipped our International Delight Iced Coffee. The Mocha flavor was delicious and many of my guests couldn't wait to go pick some up to take home. Since it's been pretty hot these past few weeks, iced coffee is the perfect way to cool down.

And with the cost of coffee house coffees rising, purchasing International Delight to use at home just makes sense. Plus, it isn't always easy to drive over to the coffee house with two kids so having the option of staying home is convenient.

I wasn't able to try out any of the delicious recipes from International Delight but passed out a few recipe cards to my guests to try for our next playdate. I was able to find quite a few recipes on the International Delight facebook app and cannot wait to try the milk chocolate muffins!

With the smell of coffee and cinnamon in the house, even our littlest guest couldn't resist opening her eyes and checkout out the party! We had an absolute blast enjoying our coffee-filled morning and definitely destressed while celebrating National Coffee Day.

For more information and recipes please visit the International Delight's Iced Coffee Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/UWMESu

What are you doing to celebrate National Coffee Day?

Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in an In Home Party campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of International Delight and received product samples to facilitate my party and review, and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Overnight French Toast with Pecan Praline Topping {Breakfast Recipe}

 I love having people over. I enjoy being forced into cleaning my home and making yummy food for my guests to enjoy.

I recently hosted a My Favorite Things party and similar to my first My Favorite Things party, I included a menu that highlighted my favorite eats. Since I hosted this event in the morning I served my favorite overnight french toast. It's simple and easy to make the night before and tastes amazing after a whole night of soaking the flavors in.

Plus it's topped with an out-of-this-world pecan praline mixture before it's baked. Heaven!

I even have a secret ingredient... my latest obsession, Coffee-mate Natural Bliss low-fat french vanilla creamer. It tastes absolutely amazing in this recipe and I only found out about it when I ran out of milk and only had a 1/2 cup left. With guests coming the next day I couldn't bail on the dish. So I subbed the creamer and it was the best decision I made!

Don't believe me? Then you'll have to try this dish and find out. And make sure to enjoy it with a cup of coffee and some Coffee-Mate Natural Bliss creamer!

Pin It

Overnight French Toast with Pecan Praline Topping

• 1 loaf day-old bread, cut into 1" slices (I prefer a french loaf or brioche)
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup all-natural Coffee-mate Natural Bliss low-fat vanilla creamer 
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

1. Layer bread slices in an oven-safe dish.

2. Mix the first six ingredients together whisk to combine.

3. Pour over bread. 

4. Cover dish with foil and put in the fridge overnight. Don't even think about it until about 30 minutes before your guests arrive.

5. Take the french toast casserole dish out of the fridge and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix pecan praline topping ingredients together then uncover the french toast casserole and spread topping mix over the french toast casserole.

6. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly on top. Let cool 5 minutes before serving and serve with some sliced strawberries and syrup (but it's sweet enough to eat without)

Enjoy!

What do you love serving for breakfast to guests? 

Disclaimer: I received free Coffee-Mate Natural Bliss creamer product coupons to share with my guests and to purchase the creamer used in this recipe and served at the party. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Bosch Tassimo T20 Review: Coffee Done the Right Way

It's no secret. I love coffee.

I wake up, go to the kitchen, make my coffee, and THEN start my day. I even hold off on going pee until the coffee has started. You know, in case I get interrupted in the bathroom by my kids and get sidetracked from making coffee afterwards. 

The coffee obsession started in high school. Helped me stay awake after a long night of partying... er... studying (hi Mom!) so that I could function at work on the weekends.

Then it really did serve as a way to function after a long night of studying in college. I spent many a night at the local Living Room cafe right around the corner from college sipping coffee and learning the latest study on the human mind.

So when individual coffee brewers first started to come out on the market I was one of the first to pick one up. But it jut didn't quite fulfill my needs and I switched back to the drip pot version.

That is until I saw the great options Bosch had with their Tassimo series. Added bonus? Gevalia, my favorite brand of coffee, had many variations of their coffees in t-disc form!

I received my Tassimo T20 a few weeks ago and since then I haven't looked back! It's so simple and easy to use, plus I'm able to make coffee, tea, and hot chocolate all with one device. I can even make iced tea for my husband!

And with Bosch's barcode system, my Tassimo knows exactly how to make my coffee every time!

I love the option of purchasing regular 8oz coffee t-discs or large 12oz coffee t-discs. So in the morning if I choose to have a larger cup instead of making two cups back to back (like when I'm on the go and using my Creative Travel Mug) I don't have to select a certain option on the Tassimo.

I simply turn the Tassimo on, add my t-disc, and place the size cup I need in the well. As soon as I turn on the machine it starts going and the aroma of that amazing cup of joe fills the room. And if I've purchased a bolder brew I can easily wait till it's done brewing and push the button again. There's a 20 second window after it's done brewing to add a bit more hot water to the cup.

This weekend we headed over to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to pick up a few more t-discs since my Amazon order didn't come in yet (and I knew I'd want coffee on Monday morning). I was so excited to see the selection they carried and quickly picked up another Gevalia favorite. I wasn't able to find the large cup t-discs but the ones I did go home with were the perfect gap filler.

And the best part about purchasing my t-discs from Bed, Bath, and Beyond was being able to use my $5 off $15 coupon AND my 20% off coupon on top of one another! How awesome is that?

With Amazon's Subscribe and Save I can save on my t-disc purchases as well by simply signing up to receive a shipment every month or so. You can save up to 15% on each purchase and get free auto-shipping.

If you're looking for a great hot beverage system I highly suggest checking out Bosch's line of Tassimio home brewing systems. Not only will you be left with cup after cup of amazing coffee, you'll spend no time preparing it!

And I absolutely love the option of changing out the color of my Bosch with a simple switch of the Bosch Tassimo Brewer Insert.

To see more of my Tassimo brewing fun, check out my video review on the Simmworks Family YouTube channel! 

And don't forget to check out Bosch Appliances on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for updates on new products, promotions, and other fun information.

 The Noise Girls have yet again put together an amazing giveaway event just for your family! And Bosch Appliances has joined in on the fun to offer one lucky reader a Tassimo T20, 3 color inserts, and a few t-discs to get you started in this giveaway.

The For the Family giveaway event starts on September 1st so please remember to hurry back and enter for your chance to win. You won't want to miss what we have to offer!



Disclaimer: I received a Bosch Tassimo T20 and color inserts for review purposes only. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.

For the love of coffee and morning routines

I didn't drink too much coffee before having kids. Sure I'd have the occasional cup of joe every few days or so and I'd indulge in a frappacino once in a blue moon (until I realized how many WW points are in one) but I never quite needed coffee that much. Yes, I did enjoy it but it wasn't a part of my routine. Now that I have kids? I have to have a cup, or two, each morning just to get through the day.

A bad picture of my favorite Peets Coffee in my Got Milk mug

I'm not quite addicted yet. I can go a few days without coffee and wont get a withdrawl headache (but I know friends who do!) but I just drag on the ground on the days I don't have my cup first thing in the morning. So I have a routine. One that is practiced every day and that my kids know about. As soon as mommy wakes up it's time to make coffee. Some days my son helps out but most of the time he's still in bed and my daughter tries to lend a hand. She loves trying to take the coffee scoop out of my hand when I'm putting grounds in the filter.

Once the coffee is brewing we can start the rest of our morning routine. I take my son to the restroom and then change my daughter's diaper (unless Daddy has already done so) and than we get dressed. By the time we're all dressed it's breakfast time. Mommy has her cup of (hot) coffee and checks her email while the kids eat yogurt or oatmeal and fruit (breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you know!) and watch a show on PBS Kids. If I didn't give the kids their breakfast while I enjoyed my coffee  I'd be left with cold coffee. And that just wouldn't cut it.

I never thought much about this routine but realized over time that it helps us get going on our day. If I don't start the coffee right away I find that we are all slacking in the morning. We end up running late to whatever was planned for the day or don't even make it to our activities. When mommy sticks with a routine a lot more gets done. And the family, as a whole, is a lot happier.

What routines help your family get going? Have you found that having routines help your family as a whole?