It’s here! TurboTax’s Second Annual nationwide search for America’s Cutest Last-Minute Tax Deduction is currently seeking your cutiest baby photos!

You know your little one is adorable and Turbo Tax wants to reward you Parents or legal guardians can go to www.CutestTaxDeduction.com and submit a photo of your newest “Last Minute” tax deduction.

One lucky baby, born between December 1st -31st 2008, will win a United States Savings Bond worth $5,000 (up to $10,000 upon maturity). (Just for being cute!) In addition to you having tax credits and deductions for this year, a new baby may bring you, who would have thought a December baby could be worth so much?!

Meet Last Year’s Winner: Last year, Baby Owen won the honor of being voted America’s Cutest Last-Minute Tax Deduction for 2007. To see an update on Owen, check out the TurboTax video.

Let us know if you are the winner - of course you already are the winner with a precious December newborn!

Gift giving…want to Share Something Sweet and give to a special cause? Here is a way to make your gift giving extra special this year…

Share Something Sweet is a partnership between the chocolate company Ferrero and Share Our Strength, a leading hunger-relief organization. Go to www.sharesomethingsweet.com to learn more about making your gift giving mean even more this year.

This partnership is in it’s second year, and this year Ferrero has donated $150,000 to Share Our Strength and is giving others a chance to add to that donation.

Right now, if you log on to Share Something Sweet and use it to “send something sweet” (that is, a customizable e-card), Ferrero will donate another $1 per e-card sent, up to $10,000.

And for every person that joins the Ferrero Facebook page, “Ferrero Lovers Unite“, Ferrero will donate another $1 to Share Our Strength (up to $1,000):

There’s also a Chocolate Personality Quiz for you to have fun with as well!

Filling:
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pastry:
1 small pkg. Philadelphia cream cheese
1/4 lb. butter
1 heaping cup of flour

Topping:
chopped Pecans

Mix pastry ingredients together until well blended and take a small ball and pat it out into a muffin tin.

Mix filling ingredients together until well mixed with an electric mixer. Put 1 TBSP. of filling in the crust. Sprinkle Pecans on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until done.

To keep you warm this winter!

• Chai Mulled Apple Cider
• Hot Orange Chocolate Cocoa
• Almond Joy Steamed Milk
• Warm Gingered Green Tea
• Hot Grape Punch Recipe
• Hot Caramel White Chocolate Milk

This green & chocolate brown fall themed holiday card design uses 1-3 of your photos in color, black & white or sepia with customizable text to share anything you wish. The ribbon-like striped accent line adds interest & visually separates the design - it can be changed if you wish, as can all the colors, text & the fonts. When printed on flat or folded cardstock, additional photos or text can be included on the back & inside panels, or we can leave space for you to handwrite a message to your loved ones. See also our 4-7 photo version of this design here: Chocolate Brown & Green Holiday Five Photo Card.

10 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup ground almonds
1 ½ cups flour
2 ounces semisweet chocolate

Cream the sugar and butter with beater until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk, almond extract, flour and ground almonds. Chill dough at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into small balls. This dough should make about 40 balls. You’ll need an even amount. Bake on cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. Bake about 20 minutes. Cookies should be golden brown. Once cookies are cooled, melt the chocolate. Spread a thin layer on 20 of the cookies and create sandwiches.

Note: while the recipe calls for semi sweet chocolate, I personally use milk chocolate, I much prefer the taste.

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY’S 100% Pure Pumpkin
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 medium) very ripe bananas, mashed (I used 3)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease and flour three 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5-inch loaf pans. (more…)

1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. water
1/2 tsp. cold cream
2 drops food coloring

In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, mix well.