Recipe: Give Mom a Taste of Paradise and Treat Her to My Tropical Carrot Cake This Mother’s Day!

Today, I want to share my Tropical Carrot Cake with you. Though it is not a fancy layer cake, I think it is just as special in sheet cake form. This recipe combines the most luscious ingredients like crushed pineapple, coconut, and walnuts to enhance the flavor and provide extra moistness to an already delicious carrot cake. One taste is enough to whisk you–or Mom to paradise as it melts in your mouth!

Please remember how important it is to sift your dry ingredients together, especially when you are working with baking soda.  Taking a bit more care will turn out a lighter cake and prevent any nasty sour spots from baking soda that could land in one spot.

I hope you do try this one because it keeps well too.

Happy Mother’s Day!

My Tropical Carrot Cake

2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking soda, leveled
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon of salt
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons of molasses (any variety)
2 cups of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
3/4 cup of canola oil
3/4 cup of buttermilk or sour milk
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 small can of crushed pineapple, well drained (8-1/4-oz.)
2 cups of grated carrots
1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup of flaked coconut


Sift the flour, soda, cinnamon, cloves, sugar, and salt together in your mixing bowl.

Add the eggs, oil, buttermilk or sour milk, and vanilla and beat to combine with the dry ingredients.

Stir in the drained pineapple, nuts, coconut, and carrots next.

Pour into your greased and floured 9 x 13-inch pan.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 55 to 60 minutes, depending on how your oven is regulated.  

Use a toothpick, slender knife, or your cake tester to see if anything sticks to test if it is done.

ENJOY!

Another Top Mother's Day Fragrance Pick--Lavanila’s Healthy Vanilla Summer Fragrance (Review)

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Lavanila’s Healthy Vanilla Summer Fragrance

If you want a deliciously seductive scent served up as a lush tropical bouquet of mangos, pineapple, creamy coconut milk further sweetened with island sugar cane against warm Madagascar vanilla, then I know the best way to get there. Lavanila’s Healthy Vanilla Summer Fragrance is your ticket to that exotic island paradise, where your most beautiful dreams become reality.  

As inviting as that warm ocean breeze, you will delight in how those sun-riped fruits beneath that burst of warm vanilla magnificently come to life in this special blend of pure essential oils, botanicals, and antioxidants of this healthier, all natural perfume.  This fragrance starts out with juicy freshness before those luscious fruits add that tempting sweetness, enhanced to perfection with just the right measure of rich Madagascar vanilla.

Softly romantic and lingering, both your senses and heart will soar over this bewitching combination that will haunt you with its loveliness. Soon you will hear the ocean waves and feel that heat fill every pore like you are suddenly there enjoying that special tropical retreat, reserved just for you–and that someone special because this decadent fragrance provides that magical escape. 

Anyone that thinks all vanilla-based fragrance is pretty much the same, I tend to strongly disagree.  Lavanila brings a precious uniqueness to each of their healthy fragrances that I have tried that makes this perfumista long to possess them all.  

Equally impressive is how long those enticing fragrances of theirs can safely last on your wrist.  As you guess, I am quite a fan of their work.

The 1.7 oz. Lavanila Healthy Vanilla Summer Fragrance retails for $58.  Do pick one up for yourself and think of what a great gift this would make this Mother’s Day.  

A Must Have Spring Fragrance! L’Occitane en Provence’s NEW Néroli & Orchidée Eau de Toilette Spray and Perfumed Body Milk (Review)

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

L'Occitane's Neroli & Orchidee Collection

L’Occitane en Provence’s newest addition to La Collection de Grasse is a celebration of Spring with Néroli & Orchidée Eau de Toilette.   This lovely floral fragrance from talented perfumer, Katerine Dubrueil, is a blissful awakening of pure freshness and blooming sweetness as nature renews itself after a long winter’s sleep.

Zesty, fruity notes of orange and mandarin, sparkle brightly as the fragrance opens.  You can feel that contagious eager energy ready to explore the world.  

L'Occitan'es Neroli & Orchidee Eau de Toilette

As Néroli & Orchidée warms, that excited burst of freshness gracefully calms.  Settled now, this romantic fragrance becomes more uplifting in the heart when notes of neroli and lily of the valley mix with fig milk and peach, washing over it with a velvety, but airy floral sweetness that is irresistible.

The base is deliberately soft and sensuous, tempting with notes of orchids, iris and musk. The effect is so alluring that it can leave you spellbound by its fruity-floral magic.

Take it from this perfumista, Néroli & Orchidée Eau de Toilette (2.5 oz. at $75) is not to be missed.  Do treat yourself to its beautiful embrace because it is unforgettable and sheer joy in a bottle!  

To prolong that exquisite feeling, I also recommend layering with the matching Perfumed Body Milk (5.9 oz. is $20) for hours on end. This divine scented lotion will delight your senses as it lavishes skin with light moisture in the process.

L'Occitane's Neroli & Orchidee Perfumed Body Milk

Honestly, I adore Néroli & Orchidée and will be spoiling myself further with more from the collection, which also includes Perfumed Shower Gel (5.9 oz. at $18), Perfumed Solid Soap (4.4 oz. for $8), and the matching Scented Candle (6.7 oz. is $30).

Mother’s Day is nearly here.  Do gift that special woman with anything from L'Occitane en Provence's Néroli & Orchidée collection and wait to see her reaction after sampling it. Trust me, but her pleasure will show as her face lights up with sheer ecstacy.  You have Mary B.’s word on it!

Perlier Royal Elixir Facial Serum Review

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Perlier's Royal Elixir Facial Serum

I fell quite in love with Perlier’s Royal Elixir Facial Serum that I got to review from  iFabbo. Instead of being some heavy, souped-up anti-aging product, this one possessed the moisturizing richness my dry skin craved without weighing it down. 

This anti-aging serum feeds the skin with nutrient-rich royal jelly from African bees to boost collagen production.  It also has plenty of anti-oxidative properties to further enrich it along with pure rose distillate in place of water, which is common in many products.

The first time I used this product, it smoothed my complexion with a luxurious moisture veil quenching the dryness and left my skin feeling very soft. Over the past two weeks of continual experimentation, I witnessed my overall complexion blooming more after every application.

You can buy #PerlierOnHSN.  The 50 ml retails for $99.  Do look into trying Royal Elixir Facial Serum for yourself or give it to Mom for Mother’s Day because it would make a great gift!

*Disclaimer: Free products were provided to facilitate this review--not my opinion.*

Lavanila Healthy Vanilla Coconut Fragrance Review and ($58) Giveaway!–Ends May 16, 2014

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Lavanila  Healthy Vanilla Coconut Fragrance

What if I told you that I discovered a sensational oriental vanilla fragrance that is beautifully exotic, long lasting, and best of all, healthier than commercial perfumes?  This sensual blend that I am referring to is Lavanila’s Healthy Vanilla Coconut Fragrance, which would happen to make a perfect Mother’s Day gift being a delicious smelling escape to the warm tropics–only costing a fraction of what that expensive vacation would run!

This lovely fragrance opens with inviting sweetness of exotic tiare flowers against creamy coconut and Madagascar vanilla.   The result is delectable with how these irresistible notes come together.

As this scent warms, the heart is where you detect more of an oriental influence with notes of heliotrope and sandalwood. You get an exquisite heady rush from the incredible sweetness heating that also has an earthy seductive quality about it that is uninhibited and so freeing.

The notes of the base are where you find this fragrance to have a soft and lingering appeal from the coconut and rich vanilla in this lush, alluring mix. 

The 1.7 fl. oz. Lavanila Healthy Vanilla Coconut Fragrance normally retails for $58. However, now is the ideal time to buy in time for Mother’s Day gift buying because the company is running a sale where you get 25% off.  So this or any of their 1.7 fl. fragrances will cost $43.50 while this sale is going on.  Do visit Lavanila and take advantage of this bargain while you have the chance because it is a gorgeous fragrance!

Thanks to Lavanila, one lucky Nuts 4 Stuff reader in the United States wins the Lavanila 1.7 fl. oz. Healthy Vanilla Coconut Fragrance ($58 value)!

Mandatory to Enter: 

You must follow me on Google Friends Connect before any of your entries will count. INCLUDE your ***EMAIL*** with NAME in a comment even if you already follow! 


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Tweet! #Win #HealthyVanillaCoconutFragrance @LavanilaLabs #Giveaway ($58) @Nuts4Stuff http://bit.ly/1rOTx7Y Ends 05/16 (Tweet up to 3 times a day, but at least 3 hours apart for each tweet.)--1 to 3 extra entries to leave in separate comments with proof.

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Leave a separate comment for each entry.  Be sure you include your email address inside your comment so I can contact you if you win.  This giveaway is only open to residents of the United States.  No PO boxes only USA-based street addresses are eligible.

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This giveaway ends May 16, 2014 at 12 PM Eastern Standard Time. The winner will need to respond to my email with name and shipping address within 48-hours or another winner will be picked.

**NEW Fragrance Alert**Why Thymes Tiare Moni Whipped Body Cream Deserves Your Attention (Review)

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Tiare Moni Whipped Body Cream

Thymes, the Minnesota-based creative collaborative, recently came out with several new fragrances.  I had the opportunity to review one of the new floral products with the Tiare Moni Whipped Body Cream that showed up at my door.  Let me tell you that this captivating scented body cream embraces feminine beauty to the fullest.

This intoxicating floral draws you in from the beginning with a lush blend of Tiare flower, osmanthus, sinfully enticing ylang ylang, brighter heliotrophe and seductive agarwood while providing a rich velvety moisture from natural plant oils, vitamin E, and shea butter among its wondrous ingredients.

If you are looking for wonderful gift for Mother’s Day that will touch her heart with its soft grace, I definitely feel this captivating scented cream is sure to please any woman, regardless of age.  

The 6.7 oz. Whipped Body Cream retails for $30.  The Tiare Moni collection includes the following:  cologne, bar soap, body lotion, body wash, bubble bath, candle, hand cream, hand lotion, hand wash, home fragrance mist.  

Do visit Thymes!  Feel free to thank this perfumista, later.