Apple Walnut Muffin Recipe

Long winter days call for something delicious baking in the oven! And bonus points that these fresh fruit and nut filled apple muffins will make your home smell amazing until they come out nice and warm from the oven. The muffins are flavored further with honey and whole wheat flour for a healthy breakfast or afternoon snack. Moist yet crumbly, these muffins are a one bowl recipe for a brunch staple that is perfect with a pat of butter or some nutty cheese.

Total time: 45 minutes

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Active time: 10 minutes
  • Baking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients to make 12 muffins:

  • 1 1/3 c/160g all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 c/75g whole wheat flour
  • ½ c/100g granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp/4g baking powder
  • 1 tsp/6g baking soda
  • ½ tsp/1g ground ginger
  • ½ tsp/1g ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp/1g sea salt
  • ¾ c/175ml half and half
  • ½ c/120ml vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ c/60ml honey
  • 1 tbs/15ml lemon juice
  • 3 small/350g apples
  • 1 c/110g chopped walnuts

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350° F.
  • Line 12 cups in a ½ c capacity muffin pan with paper liners.
  • Peel and core apples and chop into ½” cube or rectangular pieces. Make sure walnuts are coarsely chopped into ¼” pieces.
  • Combine all dry ingredients (flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt) in a large bowl. Whisk to evenly distribute everything. 
  • Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add eggs and oil to well. Whisk eggs into oil incorporating as little of flour as possible.
  • Add half and half, lemon juice, and honey to oil and eggs. Whisk to mix, slowly incorporating in the flour. 
  • Mix only until everything is incorporated, some lumps may remain. Over mixing will result in tough muffins.
  • Gently fold in apple and walnut pieces. 
  • Scoop batter into paper liners, filling nearly to top.
  • Bake at 350° F for 25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean and the muffins are lightly browned.
  • Best served warm and the same day. If storing, keep in an airtight container in the fridge for no more than 2 days.

Enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Jambalaya Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Thanks to Caputo’s for sponsoring this post. Read on for an exclusive coupon code and a delicious recipe!

I am all about simplifying life, especially during the busy holiday season. One way I like to do so is ordering online, which I do for everything from my Christmas gifts to my groceries. Besides avoiding the crowds, less time walking around the grocery store and standing in lines means more time doing things like cuddling with my kiddos while we watch Christmas movies. With my kids getting older and quickly outgrowing cuddle time, this precious time together is a priority this season!

My husband on the other hand, loves going to the grocery store and wandering up and down the aisles. His favorite one is Caputo’s Fresh Markets, a family owned and operated grocery store with locations in the Chicago area. When we lived closer, our family would shop at the Naperville Caputo’s location often. My husband, a European immigrant, loves Caputo’s variety of imported specialties that remind him of home. He enjoys coming up with creative recipes to make from all of the new items he finds and he also likes to introduce the kids and I to all of the foods he loves and the recipes he grew up eating when he lived in Croatia as a boy.

I recently had a chance to meet a few of the Caputo’s family members and tour their Carol Stream location while I learned more about the history of the stores. I was surprised to find out just how much of their food is made in their on-site facility and then shipped fresh to all their stores daily. They make their own sausage, bakery items, deli items, and more! I also heard about how involved the whole family is in the day-to-day operations of the company and the time they spend choosing each of the items that they sell in their stores. They even have their own line of exclusive products named after the matriarch of their family.

There is really nothing like Caputo’s where we moved to but thankfully we are only an hour or so from their closest store and head out to the Naperville area often for various things so we can stop by when we are out there. I placed a click-and-collect online order Tuesday evening and we went together on Wednesday afternoon to pick it up. My husband wanted to walk around the store a bit before we grabbed the groceries I’d ordered for our special dinner but I think he soon discovered that
“wandering the aisles” with an infant isn’t as enjoyable as shopping solo and could see why ordering online is my preferred way to shop with kids in tow!

ShopCaputos.com makes online grocery shopping easy. You can search by item, by aisle or by the weekly sales and even quickly shop your past orders. I love how well-priced everything is at Caputo’s, too! You can check out my video below to see everything we ordered and I’m sharing the Slow Cooker Jambalaya Stuffed Peppers recipe my husband made as well! It’s the perfect meal to stick in the crockpot while you go about your evening!

Slow Cooker Jambalaya Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

  • 6 orange or yellow peppers
  • 1 cup of uncooked rice
  • 1 pound of sausage
  • 1/2 pound of shrimp, thawed and shells removed
  • 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 small can of tomato paste
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tsp. minced onion
  • 1 tsp. parsley flakes

Directions:

  • Stir rice, sausage, shrimp, tomatoes, and seasonings together in a large bowl
  • Cut the tops off of the peppers and take the seeds out
  • Stuff the rice and sausage mixture into the peppers, dividing evenly
  • Put the peppers in the crockpot, stuffed side up
  • Whisk the tomato paste and water together and pour the liquid on top of and around the peppers
  • Top each pepper with shredded cheese
  • Cook 3 hours on high (or until temperature inside each pepper reaches at least 165 degrees)

Want to try Caputo’s Click-and-Collect or grocery delivery? Use the code ‘SAVEMOMMYMONEY’ for $20 off your first order ($60 order minimum) at shopcaputos.com.

Meal Kits From Peapod Make Dinner Prep Simple

Thanks to Peapod for sponsoring this post.

meal kit

As a busy mom I am all about things that make my life easier. The time of day I really appreciate saving time the most is at dinner time because usually we are squeezing in a meal before or after a ball game or have just a bit of time in between activities on our busiest nights. When we are home, meal kits are one of the simplest ways to get delicious dinners on the table quickly.

I recently discovered that Peapod, our favorite grocery delivery service, offers a variety of meal kits that let me avoid the grocery store since they’ll deliver them right to my door. It’s such a time saver! Shopping with Peapod is easy, too. You can sort by category, or use one of the many filters, including nutrition and dietary filters, to sort the items as you shop.

Peapod collaborates with renowned food taste-makers to craft delicious meal kits that are convenient and easy to cook. I bought several of these meal kits when I placed an order with Peapod and loved how all of the ingredients were delivered in a bag and each one was chopped and measured so there was less work to do. It’s also nice to be able to try different flavors and cuisines without having to buy a ton of spices and ingredients (just ask my husband how often I tend to buy something for a recipe and then never use it again! lol).

Peapod ingredients

Peapod created a meal kit based off of one of Mark Bittman’s favorite recipes in his cookbook Dinner for Everyone: 100 Iconic Dishes Made Three Ways. In his cookbook, Bittman offers classic dinnertime dishes spun in three unique ways – easy, vegan, and all-out for entertaining. I think this cookbook is perfect for both novice chefs like myself and more seasoned ones like my husband.

easy pho

Fast Pho is Bittman’s “easy” recipe for pho that uses shortcuts and ingredients to shorten the traditionally lengthy process into one that gets dinner on the table in half an hour. Since Pho is a meal that I had never had before I didn’t realize this wasn’t an “authentic” pho recipe but I appreciated how simple it was to make. My husband, who has had pho before, was aware that this wasn’t a traditional pho recipe but enjoyed it just the same and was happy not to have to have it simmering on the stove for hours.

pho made with fresh ingredients

Want to order a meal kit for yourself to make your busy nights easier? Head on over to the Peapod website and use the code ‘TIME4MOM20’ to get $20 off your total grocery order of $75+ and 60 days of free delivery!

 

 

Easy Cookies And Cream Pudding Parfaits


This post is sponsored by Torani but all opinions are mine.

Cookies and cream pudding parfaits

Summer is (unofficially) here and that means warm weather and doing anything I can to avoid turning the oven on. I’m a huge fan of no-bake desserts anyway since I like to keep things simple in my kitchen. Plus, since it’s “May-cember” (aka the busiest month of the year) I am all about any shortcuts I can take to make things easier!

pudding parfaits

When I saw that Torani had a new Cookies & Cream Sauce I knew I wanted to create a special dessert for the holiday weekend to surprise my nine year old who we affectionately call “cookie monster”. I was originally going to make mini pudding pies but I couldn’t find any small chocolate crusts so I decided to make parfaits instead. I’m so glad I did because the layers of chocolatey goodness created one tasty treat! The biggest shortcut I took for these was using premade pudding so I didn’t have to make my own. You can definetely make homemade pudding but, in between taking care of a fussy baby and baseball games, I was happy to erase something off my long list of to-do’s.

cookie topped pudding parfait

Ingredients to make several pudding parfaits:

  • Two 4-packs of snack sized puddings – one vanilla and one chocolate
  • 1/2 a pack of chocolate sandwich cookies
  • Torani Cookies & Cream Sauce (Found at Walmart in the Cocoa or Ice Cream Topping section.)
  • Parfait cups (if you want to be fancy) or small bowls

Directions to make pudding parfaits:

  • Put the chocolate cookies in a quart size bag and crush into pieces using your hands or a rolling pin.
  • Put the puddings into bowls by flavor
  • Stir half of the crushed cookies into the bowl of vanilla pudding
  • Stir in a couple tablespoons of the Torani Cookies & Cream Sauce in to the bowl of the chocolate pudding
  • Layer crushed cookies and pudding into parfait cups and top with more crushed cookies and the Torani sauce

pudding parfait dessert for chocolate lovers

Another thing I like about parfaits is that there is no wrong way to make them so this is a great recipe to get kids helping in the kitchen. They can help crush the cookies and put all the ingredients in bowls. Then, when everything is ready, everyone can personalize their own parfait – whether they prefer chocolate or vanilla pudding and how many crushed cookie layers they want to add is up to them!

Now that I’ve discovered this Torani Cookies & Cream sauce I want to grab some more flavors because they are perfect for drizzling on top of desserts or adding by the spoonful to coffee or cocoa. I already have their Peppermint syrup sitting on my coffee bar so I can enjoy peppermint mochas all year long! It’s easy to craft delicious treats with Torani syrups and sauces because their flavors can create endless recipes and they bring out the best in drinks and desserts. Plus, they are made with real, simple ingredients like pure can sugar and natural flavors. What would you make?

Cookies and cream dessert the whole family will love

Maple Bacon Stuffed Waffles

Thanks to Krusteaz for sponsoring this post.

One of our favorite themed dinner nights is breakfast for dinner. When I first started this tradition in our home it was because I needed something quick and easy to make, but the boys love it so much that we’ve made it a regular thing we do at least a few times a month. Some days we make egg dishes, sometimes pancakes or crepes, and sometimes it’s waffles.

In honor of February being National Hot Breakfast Month I thought I’d share a new recipe we tried recently- maple bacon stuffed waffles. I was thinking about different waffle add-ins or toppings and I thought it would be fun to put my favorite breakfast side dish into the main dish. I was originally just going to crumble up bacon and make a savory waffle but I thought adding the syrup right into the waffle mix before it cooked would make it sweet as well (and to be honest, I love dipping my bacon in syrup so that is a winning combo in my mind!)

This recipe is so simple that it doesn’t even require step-by-step photos. Just make the waffle mix (we used our favorite Krusteaz Belgian Waffle Mix) according to the package while your waffle maker preheats. Once the waffle maker is ready, spray it with PAM cooking spray, and add half the waffle mix you’d normally add for one waffle. Next, sprinkle cooked bacon pieces and drizzle some syrup on top before adding the rest of the waffle mix into the waffle maker and closing it. Once fully cooked you can top with even more syrup and bacon before serving. The sweet syrup pairs perfectly with the salty crunch of the bacon inside the waffle.

We also make apple pie waffles by adding in apple pie filling instead of bacon and syrup. It’s fun to try out different combinations of fillings and toppings! What kind of waffle would you make? Or do you prefer pancakes like my youngest? Whichever you enjoy, Krusteaz makes breakfast for dinner easy with their delicious brand of convenient, high quality baking mixes!

Sick Day Essentials And The Best Baked Macaroni & Cheese Recipe

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc., Campbell’s® , Lipton, Premium Crackers, Theraflu and TYLENOL®. All opinions are mine alone. #SickDaySolutions #CollectiveBias

Raise your hand if you’ve been sick already this year ✋ I’ve been sick a handful of times myself and winter isn’t even halfway over yet! As a mom, being sick is the worst because we don’t really get sick days between caring for our kids, working, running errands and taking care of our homes. Today I wanted to share some sick day essentials as well as a family recipe for baked macaroni and cheese that is absolutely fabulous (especially if you love cheese as much as I do).

Whether you are just shopping for sick day essentials to keep at home or creating a super thoughtful gift basket for a sick friend, these are things I always keep stocked up on:

OTC Medicines

Theraflu ExpressMax Severe Cold & Flu Caplets and TYLENOL® Cold + Flu Severe Warming Honey Lemon are two medicines I count on when I’m feeling under the weather. The Theraflu provides powerful relief without a prescription and helps defeat 7 cold & flu symptoms fast. Tylenol, the #1 doctor recommended pain relief brand, helps stop my painful coughing, congestion and sore throat.

Campbell’s® Chicken Noodle Soup

Campbell’s® soups warm me up when I need it most. These soups have been a staple in my family’s pantry since I was little and I love that they have no artificial colors or flavors. From their chicken noodle soup to their tomato soup (paired with grilled cheese of course!) we love them all. The soup now comes in a value 4-pack so it’s easy to stock up on it!

Original Premium Saltine Crackers*

When I have a stomach flu saltine crackers are a must and Nabisco PREMIUM is the #1 saltine cracker. They are often one of the few things that I can hold down when I’m feeling nauseous. I also love to have them anytime I’m eating soup!

Lipton Bedtime Bliss Herbal Supplement

Lipton’s new wellness range of herbal supplements are boosted with botanicals and carefully blended with essential oils that are known for their wellness benefits. The Bedtime Bliss one, with chamomile, mint and orange peels, contains no caffeine so it’s the perfect thing to have in the evenings before bed.

Tissues

A box of soft tissues are always next to me when I have a runny nose or a cough.

Hand Sanitizer

When I’m sick the last thing I want to do is spread my germs so I use hand sanitizer to keep the germs at bay.

Baked macaroni and cheese

Another thing I must have when I’m sick? Easy meals that don’t take much prep! Though soup is my typical go-to meal when I’m sick, because I always feel better after a bowl of it, there is just something about making a recipe that reminds me of my childhood that cheers me up and brightens up my day when I’m not feeling well. One of my favorite family recipes is baked macaroni and cheese made with cheese curds and stewed tomatoes. It’s a recipe my grandma made when I was younger and that my mom still makes. I follow the recipe they use but we’ve changed it up a bit with the addition of ricotta cheese to go along with the cheese curds. This macaroni and cheese is the cheesiest mac and cheese you’ll ever eat!

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 Cups Of Elbow Macaroni
  • 18 oz. White Cheese Curds
  • 14 oz. Can of Stewed Tomatoes
  • 4 oz. Ricotta Cheese
  • Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Cook elbow macaroni according to the box’s instructions and then let cool. In a large greased casserole dish combine all ingredients and bake (uncovered) at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

And when it comes out of the oven…. so much gooey cheese!

When you are combating winter colds and the dreaded flu you can count on Kroger to have everything you need for the perfect sick kit that will have your family feeling better in no time. Get money saving coupons here to save on essentials at your favorite Kroger banner store.

What do you consider sick day essentials?

*Check Premium crackers box for serving suggestion. Premium Crackers enlarged for detail.

Campbell’s® –  © 2018 CSC LP  Lipton – © 2018 Unilever Theraflu – Read and follow label directions. Theraflu is for use in adults 12 years and older. Use products only as directed. TYLENOL®  ®Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. 2017. Use products only as directed. The makers of TYLENOL® remind you to use only one medicine with acetaminophen at a time.

Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Muffins

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Conagra Brands. All opinions are mine alone. #YouPAMDoIt #PAMInControl #CollectiveBias

One of my goals for this year is to take better care of myself and that includes starting each day with breakfast. As a busy mom I tend to skip breakfast because I’m trying to get the kids out the door in the mornings so I need things that are quick and simple. I love hot breakfasts but they just aren’t realistic for me to make on school days so I thought I’d make some breakfast muffins that are easy to grab and go. You can make a batch of these egg muffins over the weekend and freeze them so when it’s breakfast time during the week you just take a few out, heat them up in the microwave and then you have a hot breakfast to enjoy as you are getting things done or in the car.

Make Ahead Breakfast Muffins

There are many variations that you can make of these breakfast muffins by omitting or adding ingredients. You can add veggies for a healthier muffin or substitute bacon for the sausage crumbles (because who can say no to bacon?). One way to get these in the oven even quicker is to use liquid eggs and pre-cooked sausage crumbles, which is what I did, to save a few steps. In less than 5 minutes of prep time, hot breakfast is made!

 

Another tip of mine? Don’t forget the cooking spray in the muffin tin! We used the NEW PAM® Spray Pump Olive Oil. This new product, from a brand I’ve used in my kitchen for years, provides the superior non-stick cooking experience I’m used to without adding a ton of extra calories and has no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. It’s my secret to getting the muffins to slide out of the muffin tin – even when there’s cheese in them!

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make a dozen:

  • 6 eggs (I used liquid ones to save time)
  • 1/2 pound pre-cooked sausage crumbles
  •  1 cup shredded cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups thawed shredded hashbrown potatoes
  • Seasoning to taste (we used a dash of salt, pepper, oregano and onion powder)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2) Mix hashbrowns, sausage crumbles, cheese, and seasonings.

3) Add in liquid eggs and gently stir, coating all ingredients with the eggs.

4) Spray muffin tin with PAM Spray Pump Olive Oil to keep the muffins from sticking to the pan. (The non-aerosol PAM Spray Pumps let you control how much you use to manage added fat and calories!)

5) Spoon mixture into muffin tin, filling each spot 2/3 of the way full.

6) Put the muffin tin into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the muffins have reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees. Once cooked thoroughly allow to cool fully before putting them in a freezer bag or airtight container. They can be stored in the fridge for a couple days or put in the freezer for longer.

So easy and quick to make but so filling! These breakfast muffins are a great way to start your day!

You can find PAM Spray Pump Olive Oil at your local Walmart and, while supplies last, use Ibotta and earn $1 when you buy one (1) PAM Spray Pump Olive Oil or Canola Oil.

What is your go-to breakfast on busy days?

Brighten Up Your New Year’s Eve Celebration With Strawberry Lemonade Champagne

Thanks to Mike’s Hard Lemonade for sponsoring this post. Please drink responsibly.

I can’t believe Christmas is around the corner… and before we know it, it’ll be time to ring in the New Year! For the past ten years or so, we’ve done our New Year’s Eve celebrations at home; keeping things low key with pizza and the New Year’s countdown on TV. This year, though, I wanted to change things up a bit.

Instead of toasting with regular champagne I added a fruity twist and brightened things up with Mike’s Hard Lemonade. Truth be told, I do not like champagne at all, so the midnight toast never really appealed to me because it was followed by a sip of something I didn’t enjoy the taste of. This year, though, I’ll be sipping strawberry lemonade champagne so I’ll happily be toasting with my glass of pink bubbly in hand. What I love most about this drink is that it’s super simple but adds a lot of happiness (and deliciousness) to the occasion. So, if champagne isn’t your drink of choice… I’ve got a simple fix and easy recipe you can use to ring in the New Year just right!

To make strawberry lemonade champagne, just fill your flute two thirds full with Mike’s Hard Strawberry Lemonade and top your glass off with the champagne. You can even add some lemon zest or muddled strawberry at the bottom of your glass if you’d like to. The strawberry lemonade flavor is my favorite Mike’s Hard Lemonade, but you can use the other flavors if you prefer.

Mike’s Hard Lemonade can brighten any occasion this holiday season, from holiday parties to that late-night wrapping session you are bound to have on Christmas Eve. However you celebrate, I hope you all have a festive rest of your holiday season and a fantastic start to your New Year!

 

* MIKE’S IS HARD. SO IS PRISON. DON’T DRIVE DRUNK® PREMIUM MALT BEVERAGE ©2017 MIKE’S HARD LEMONADE CO. CHICAGO, IL

Christmas Morning Traditions And An Easy Breakfast Casserole Recipe

This post is written by me on behalf of Tyson Foods, Inc.. All opinions are entirely my own.

My favorite day of the year is Christmas Day. When I was a kid it was probably (mostly) because of the gifts but now, as an adult, it’s my favorite because of all of the uninterrupted time we have together as a family. The days leading up to Christmas may be chaotic with last minute wrapping, grocery shopping, holiday parties and everything else, but on Christmas Eve we start to slow down and then Christmas Day we really slow down.

Our day starts early with our boys, clad in matching Christmas jammies, coming in to wake us up. Daddy normally wants to snooze a bit but I sense their excitement so I hop out of bed to make sure everything, including my camera, is ready for the moment they come running out to see what special holiday surprises there are.

The boys head to the fireplace to see what Santa has brought them. They each get a gift or two from Santa and then a stocking full of candy, little trinkets and toiletries. After that they check to see if Santa ate his cookies and drank his milk and check our cat’s stockings to see what little toys Santa left for our fur babies.

After stockings, it’s time for breakfast. This is a tradition that my parents started when I was younger and I continue with my own kids. While my dad cooked a big family breakfast we’d get dressed for the day (and I’m pretty sure this was the one day a year that my three siblings and I got ready without having to be prodded to “hurry up”). Nowadays, we stay in our holiday pajamas all day but we do go and make ourselves a bit presentable for pictures while breakfast is cooking.

This tradition of breakfast before gifts is one of the most enjoyable parts of the day since we generally don’t get to sit down for family breakfasts. We have a variety of breakfast foods but the best part is the breakfast casserole that Sinisa makes. He usually prepares it the night before so it’s simple to pop in the oven Christmas morning. We are all about keeping it easy over here!

This year he is making a casserole with eggs, cheese, sausage, hash browns, peppers and onions. We made it for a quick dinner this past week, to test the recipe out, and the kids ate it, peppers and all. I’m sharing the recipe because if you are looking for an easy casserole idea for Christmas morning (or really any busy day this holiday season) this will be perfect!

Ingredients for the breakfast casserole:

  • 7 eggs whisked together
  • 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese
  • One package of Jimmy Dean® Refrigerated Sausage
  • 1 1/2 cups of chopped peppers and onions
  • 10 ounces of hash browns

Directions:

1) Cook the sausage according to the package. We like using the Jimmy Dean® Refrigerated Sausage because the fresh, high quality pork sausage is made with a unique savory blend of Jimmy Dean® signature seasonings which really gives the casserole a great flavor and keeps the ingredient list low. NOTE: You can cook the peppers and onions with the sausage if you’d like to or you can add them to the recipe raw.

2) Add ingredients into a large casserole dish, layering them. We put uncooked hash browns on the bottom, added a layer of sausage and vegetables next, then poured the eggs evenly over the casserole before sprinkling the top with a generous layer of shredded cheese.

3) At this point you can either put it in the fridge if you are making it the night before or you can stick it in the oven. We cooked our casserole (in a covered dish) for 35 minutes at 400 degrees. Keep in mind that oven times vary so you’ll want to temp it and make sure it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

That’s it. So easy but so delicious! We had “breakfast for dinner” the other night and served this casserole with a side of fresh fruit and doughnuts for dessert.

On Christmas morning, after we enjoy our breakfast as a family, we open gifts. The boys play with their new toys while we sit in front of the fire together. We play some of their new games they received and just relax in the glow of the twinkling lights on our Christmas tree. It’s the perfect day.

Want to recreate this recipe? Find all the ingredients you need for this breakfast casserole at Meijer. Tyson® products, like the Jimmy Dean® Refrigerated Sausage, are perfect for all cooking occasions and all holiday season long. Remember that the holidays mean many moments and many meals to share so make sure to stock up on things that will help you create easy meals so you are spending less time in the kitchen and more time with your family.

How do you spend Christmas morning? I’d love to hear about your family’s holiday traditions and any delicious meals you make!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Double Date Idea And A Paint Night Gift Basket

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FronteraExperience #CollectiveBias

For a while now I’ve been wanting to go to one of those places where you can hang out and paint. It sounds like it would be such a great time but I really don’t get out that much for girl’s night or date night since becoming a parent. Because of this I thought it would be fun to put together a paint night gift basket to bring the painting fun home! The basket is perfect for a girl’s night in or a double date night with another couple. (Personally I love the double date in idea because you get time with a friend and your man – just get a sitter to share and enjoy some adult couple time.)

Along with the painting there’d have to be food because a fun evening isn’t complete without it! When I thought about the bright colors of paint I had bought, I immediately knew they would pair perfectly with the vibrant flavors of one of my favorite cuisines- Mexican! I also knew I wanted something simple because nothing kills the fun of an evening for the hostess like being stuck in the kitchen while everyone else enjoys time together. Luckily I knew just the right ones that would work- Frontera® Frozen Skillets, inspired by Chef Rick Bayless. They only take about 15 minutes to cook so they can be made before guests arrive or while everyone’s artwork dries.

The paint night gift basket makes a great gift for a friend or your significant other. To make it for a double date night just put enough of everything for four people in the gift basket!

Here’s what I put in my gift basket:

  • 4 Canvases to paint
  • Acrylic paint in various colors
  • 4 Paint palettes
  • Paintbrushes (fine and wide tip)
  • Colorful plates and napkins

The gift basket is easy to put together. I used a black tin and decorated it with some paper flowers on the outside and added some crumpled paper inside the bottom of the tin. I added in canvases to paint (two 5X7 and two 8×10 sizes), paintbrushes, tubes of acrylic paint, paint palettes, and colorful napkins and plates for our dinner.

Speaking of dinner….if you love Mexican food you have to try these skillets. Frontera® Foods brings premium ingredients and flavors into the kitchen so they make the perfect dish to bring friends together. I bought two flavor varieties, the Frontera® Chicken Fajita Skillet (made with tender cuts of seared chicken simmered together with fire-roasted poblanos and chipotle chiles) and the Frontera® Carnitas Taco Skillet (made with slow-cooked pork with tangy tomatillos and roasted poblano chiles).

I loved that the meal’s ingredients and directions read in plain English and were simple to follow. They are so easy to cook that it took less than fifteen minutes to go from freezer to table.

I bought the Frontera® Frozen Skillets, along with two jars of their salsa (Frontera® Jalapeño Cilantro Salsa and Frontera® Tomatillo Salsa), at Target. We found the meals in the freezer aisle and they had a variety of flavors to choose from.

And, if you are into saving money (who isn’t!?), from now through November 25th use the Cartwheel coupon below to get 25% off Frontera® Skillets at Target!

Have you ever had a double date night in? If so, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Basketball Party Appetizer

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SnackBracketPlaybook #CollectiveBias

Are any of you basketball fans? Or married to basketball fans? If so, I bet you or your loved ones have been glued to the television the past week or so. It’s exciting to follow the games and there’s nothing better than watching them with friends and family. As you cheer on your favorite teams you will probably want to snack on something so I wanted to share a snack idea that’s perfect for basketball parties.

For our basketball watch party I recreated a Mondelez recipe for The Big Tournament, Southwestern Fiesta Topper on TRISCUITs, changing it up a bit with the addition of guacamole to the sour cream. (You can find the original recipe along with a video on how to make it here.) This recipe is so simple which is perfect for those last minute parties. It’s also nice because it allows you to spend less time in the kitchen and more time watching the game.

Ingredients needed:

  • TRISCUIT crackers
  • White cheddar cheese (cut into thin slices)
  • Guacamole
  • Salsa
  • Sour cream

To make:

In a small bowl, mix 2 spoonfuls of sour cream with two spoonfuls of guacamole.

Top a TRISCUIT with a slice of cheese.

Add a teaspoon of salsa on top of the cheese.

Top with a teaspoon of the sour cream and guacamole mixture.

For added fun you can put a basketball topper on each appetizer.

You will also want something to drink so what better to pair appetizers with than ice cold Coca-Cola™ or Coca-Cola Zero™?

I love the mini cans and the 8 ounce bottles I found because they are the perfect size for parties!

To add a bit more basketball fun to the table I set out orange basketball napkins and plates. I also made themed straws for the drinks by attaching foam basketball stickers to black and white striped paper straws.

It only took a few minutes to get everything ready. Want to recreate this party idea? Just grab your favorite Coca-Cola drinks and set out a couple easy appetizers and then sit down and enjoy the ball game :)

I found Coca-Cola, Coke Zero and TRISCUITs at my local Jewel-Osco store.

What do you like to snack on while you watch basketball?

 

—————

  • Mondelēz International and Coca-Cola are Corporate Champion and Partners of the NCAA.
  • NCAA and Snack Bracket Playbook are trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
  • © Mondelēz International group © Coca-Cola Zero is a registered trademark of the Coca-Cola Company.

Spring Mini Pudding Pies

To celebrate National Pi Day today I wanted to share a super easy, fun snack for kids. This snack doesn’t require any baking and can be put together in just a couple minutes.

Ingredients needed:

  • 1 cup of premade vanilla pudding
  • Food coloring
  • Sprinkles
  • PEEPS
  • Mini pie crust
  • Whipped cream

Directions to make:

  • Add a few drops of food coloring to the vanilla pudding and stir to mix
  • Put vanilla pudding into the mini pie crust
  • Top with whipped cream, sprinkles and a PEEP

How are you celebrating National Pi day?

 Like this recipe? Check out my PEEPS nests featured in the Peeps-A-Licious cookbook.

Meatloaf Bites Recipe

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #KetchupWithFrenchs #CollectiveBias

I love easy to prep meals for busy school nights and it’s even better when my kids actually like to eat what I make. I realized that I haven’t shared one of our favorite kid-friendly meals with you all yet. What started as a funny April fools joke turned into a meal the whole family can enjoy year round. These fancy “cupcakes” are just meatball bites topped with mashed potato “frosting”. “Cupcakes” for dinner will surprise any child and they can be made three different ways to please everyone in the family.

First, you’ll want to gather your ingredients. I was delighted to see that my favorite mustard brand (French’s) had started making ketchup as well. French’s Ketchup uses real ingredients, like real sugar and high quality tomatoes, which make it taste great. Plus, it has no GMOs, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, or artificial flavors and colors so I can feel good about including it in our favorite recipes and as a dip for our favorite appetizers.

(Recipe yields a dozen meatloaf “cupcakes”.)

Ingredients needed:

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 pound of mashed potatoes
  • 1 cup of French’s Ketchup
  • 1 cup of stuffing mix (uncooked)
  • 1/2 cup of milk
  • 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of onion salt
  • 1 tablespoon of parsley
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of pepper
  • 1 pinch of sage
  • 1 pinch of garlic
  • French’s Crispy Fried Onions (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients other than ketchup, brown sugar, mashed potatoes and fried onions in a large bowl.

Once fully combined, press mixture into muffin tins.

In a small bowl, mix ketchup and brown sugar.

Using a spoon, spread the ketchup and brown sugar mixture on top of each meatloaf bite in the pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat is at least 165 degrees.

Spoon warmed mashed potatoes on to the meat. For fancier cupcake bites, you can make the mashed potatoes look like “frosting” that was piped on them. You can do this one of two ways- either by using a frosting decorator or using a sealed ziplock bag with one corner cut on a diagonal so the mashed potatoes can be piped out. I love using a frosting decorator with a special frosting tip.

Serve as is or with French’s Crispy Fried Onions sprinkled on top. If you have someone in your family who does not like mashed potatoes you can serve the meatloaf without the mashed potato topping. A side of fries or tater tots with ketchup would be perfect with the plain meatloaf bites.

You can even top the meatloaf bites with a dollop of French’s Ketchup on top to look like a “cherry” on top of the “cupcake”.

As you can see, this recipe can be easily customized for your family. If you have a favorite meatloaf recipe you like you can make that mixture instead of the one in this recipe and then just cook it in the muffin pans instead of your typical meatloaf pan. You can also substitute bread crumbs for stuffing mix if that’s what you have on hand. We prefer using cornbread stuffing mix if we have it because it adds flavor but we have used bread crumbs in the recipe and it turns out just as well. It’s all about whatever is easiest for you to get dinner on the table for your family.

You can find French’s Ketchup at Walmart in the condiment aisle. As you can see in the video below, it’s the perfect compliment to your favorite foods!

Feel good about your purchase because, not only are you getting a better-for-you option that’s delicious, but French’s is doing its part in the community through a partnership with Feeding America and donating 10 million meals in 2017.

I hope your family loves these meatloaf bites aka dinner “cupcakes”! Find more recipe inspiration here.

‘Dinner For Two’ Date Night Gift Basket

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WonderfulYourWay #CollectiveBias The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older.

Before we had kids, Sinisa and I would go on dates quite often. We’d go out to eat, go to the movies, and walk around local downtown areas. It was nice to be able to connect during those times. Unfortunately, once we had our first child, our date nights out became almost non-existent. Nowadays we tend to do a lot of date nights in which basically consist of watching a movie on the couch.

With Valentine’s Day coming soon, I wanted to change things up a bit and create a special date night basket. Since Sinisa loves to cook I thought he’d enjoy a gift basket full of goodies that would let us have a date night in where we could cook a special meal together. I’m calling this a “Dinner for two” date night gift basket.

I started by figuring out what type of meal we’d make and decided upon pasta. Maybe it’s the whole Lady & the Tramp spaghetti scene stuck in my head, but I equate pasta with romantic meals. Along with the box of pasta, I put some other items we’d need for our date night in the basket including Valentine’s themed kitchen hand towels, some red cooking utensils, a couple chocolate roses, salt and pepper shakers, candles and a bottle of wine to enjoy with our meal.

We have a few go-to pasta dishes that we make but Sinisa made a really delicious one a couple years ago that I wanted to recreate together. It’s a dish similar to Pasta Carbonara though we don’t add eggs to it like the typical recipe calls for.

For our recipe, I got all the ingredients at Kroger, including Barilla® Pronto® Penne pasta, a product innovation that allows for one-pan meals to be created with no need to wait for water to boil, and no draining required. I like this pasta because it cooks within ten minutes and is perfect for one pot meals.

Ingredients to make dinner for 2:

  • 1/2 box of Barilla Pronto Penne
  • 1/4 cup of bacon pieces
  • 1/2 cup of frozen peas
  • 2 cups of (cold) water or broth (we used vegetable broth)
  • 4 ounces of cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
  • Seasoning to taste (we used black pepper and garlic powder)
  • A teaspoon of vegetable oil

Directions:

Add the oil to the pan along with the bacon and peas and heat for a minute or so, stirring to mix.

Add the dry pasta.

Pour the cold water (or broth) over the pasta. (Feels strange doesn’t it? Usually you have to put a pot of water on the stovetop and then wait forever for it to boil before you can put your pasta in but this new pasta is “no boil”.) Cover and let cook on medium heat for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the 4 ounces of cream cheese. Then cover and cook for three more minutes to finish cooking the pasta.

At this point the pasta is fully cooked. Can you believe that you have perfectly cooked pasta in just 10 minutes?! Whoever invented this no boil pasta is a genius. I also love that you don’t have to drain it because the majority of the liquid has cooked out. To finish making this pasta dish, add the shredded cheese, season to taste and stir everything together.

I love the combo of cheese and bacon in this dish and the addition of the peas helps me meet my veggie goal for the week lol. This pasta dish is so easy to make and requires little prep which is perfect for date night. You’ll have dinner on the table within 15 minutes and making the whole meal in one pan is great because nobody wants to spend date night stuck in the kitchen washing a sink full of dishes.

What pasta dish would you make on your “dinner for two” date night? Find more “Wonderful Your Way” recipe inspiration here.

 

Easy Lunch Idea For Busy Moms

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LeanCuisine #CollectiveBias

Now that the holidays are over it’s time to get back to my regular schedule. I spend my days working online, my afternoons and early evenings wearing my “mom” hat and driving the kids to their various activities, and my late evenings doing even more work. In the past I’ve been so busy that I worked right through lunch and that is something that I’ve really been working hard to stop doing. There is no reason that I can’t take thirty minutes out of my day to relax and eat something and it’s taken a conscious effort to take that break every day. (With a blog name like Making Time For Mommy you’d think it would be easier for me, right?!)

If you are as busy as I am, you are probably a fan of quick lunch options. Personally, I tend to gravitate towards frozen meals because they are the easiest to make and I can multitask while they are cooking. I can stick them in the microwave, go throw in a load of laundry and in minutes I have a hot lunch that’s ready to eat.

My favorite frozen meals are Lean Cuisine ones. I love that they have always had such a great variety of meals, whether I’m in the mood for a meat filled dish or craving pasta. They are full of flavor and always taste freshly made. I like that Lean Cuisine offers product options that are non-GMO, gluten-free, and high in protein. Some options are even made with organic ingredients (like the LEAN CUISINE® Marketplace Vermont White Cheddar Mac & Cheese that’s made with organic pasta).

While the Lean Cuisine meals are perfect on their own, I sometimes will make a side dish as well. Some days it’s a salad or fresh fruit, but I also like to make a quick veggie sauté on days I have a bit more time. My zucchini and squash sauté is the perfect side for the Vermont White Cheddar Mac & Cheese.

The best part about this veggie sauté is that it’s super simple and easy to make. I’m not a huge vegetable eater but I’m working on eating more fruits and vegetables and this is a great way to do it. I always make sure to have some zucchini and squash in the fridge because I make this dish at least a couple times a week for lunches and dinners.

Ingredients:

  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 yellow squash
  • 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic
  • Seasonings to taste (I tend to use pepper, onion powder, season salt and a chicken seasoning mix)

Directions

Slice your zucchini and yellow squash into pieces about 1/2-1 inch thick. (For faster cooking time you can cut the pieces in half lengthwise also to make them smaller.) Add the oil to your pan or pot and let it heat up on the stovetop. Once hot, add your zucchini and squash and then sprinkle on the garlic and seasonings. sauté the vegetables on low to medium heat, stirring often.

Continue cooking your vegetables, stirring every couple minutes, until your zucchini and squash pieces are cooked all the way through. You’ll know they are done when you can easily stick a fork through them.

These vegetables are perfect with the Lean Cuisine white cheddar mac & cheese. The vegetables are savory and a bit crunchy which pair well with the creamy mac & cheese.

My other favorite meal is the LEAN CUISINE® Marketplace Butternut Squash Ravioli that I was excited to discover a few years back. It reminds me of Thanksgiving each time I eat it! When I was at Target this weekend I found that all the Lean Cuisine meals are on sale for only $1.99 (through 1/31) so it’s the perfect time to stock up on them. With their variety of flavorful meals you could try something new every day for weeks.

 What is your favorite lunch to enjoy on busy days?

Cucumber Bites Christmas Tree Appetizer Tray

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HolidayEntertaining #YogurtInspiration #CollectiveBias

One of my favorite ways to celebrate the Christmas holiday is to have my family over to spend time together. Christmas Eve is our big celebration at my house and I always have a table full of appetizers. I don’t just do parties a little bit. I go all out and make as many appetizers as I can. We then enjoy the leftovers as we lounge around on Christmas Day (because nobody really feels like cooking after all the work of the holidays has ended in ten minutes of unwrapping frenzy).

If you do any entertaining over the holidays you’ll want to make this fun Christmas tree shaped appetizer. I love cucumber bites but I decided to change them up a bit after having a gyro for lunch one day and wanted to make the topping for them taste somewhat like the tzatziki sauce I love. To do so, I added dill and feta cheese in to try to recreate the flavor. You could always add in some ranch mix instead of the dill and feta cheese if you’d rather.

Since I was making this recipe for the first time it was a bit of trial and error trying to get the thickness right. The texture of the creamy mixture on top should be similar to the texture of frosting. You don’t want it to be thin and runny. I think I nailed it after making a couple of adjustments.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of Dannon All Natural Plain Yogurt
  • 8 ounces of cream cheese
  • 2 tablespoons of feta cheese
  • 4 sprigs of dill
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic
  • 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
  • 4 cucumbers
  • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
  • Brick of cheese (optional for star on tree)
  • Crackers (optional for trunk of tree)

To start you will want to add your yogurt, cream cheese, feta cheese, dill, garlic and lemon juice into the cup of your food processor and blend until you have a thick, creamy consistency.

Once you have your topping you’ll want to cut your cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. Before cutting your cucumbers you can use a vegetable peel to take the skin off or you can leave it on. Cucumbers should be sliced about an inch thick and cherry tomatoes should be cut in half. Set aside the tomatoes and place the cucumber slices on your tray to look like a Christmas tree. You may need more than one platter if you have smaller sized trays.

To top the cucumbers I put the cream filling in a frosting decorator tube with a frosting tip but a piping bag works just as well. If you don’t have either of those you can always use a plastic sandwich sized bag and just cut one of the corners off to squeeze the topping through. I liked how fancy they looked with the special tip and I wanted to get some use out of the frosting decorator that I had discovered as I was cleaning out my pantry this week.

Once the cream mixture is on the cucumbers you’ll want to top each one with a piece of tomato.

The last step is to add the “trunk” of the tree and the star. Both are optional but I thought they really made things look festive. To make the trunk of the tree I stacked crackers on the tray and for the star I used a cookie cutter to cut a star out of a brick of cheese.

I love how my Christmas “tree” turned out and I know my guests will love eating these appetizer bites.

As I shared a couple weeks ago, I love using Dannon All Natural Plain Yogurt in my recipes because it’s made with only natural ingredients. While it can be enjoyed on it’s own, I often use it as a cooking substitute in recipes. Many recipes for these cucumber bites use other ingredients like sour cream or mayo but I chose to make mine with yogurt to make it a bit healthier. Yogurt is also a great base for any dips you may be making this holiday season!

 

You can find Dannon brand yogurt at your local Meijer store.

Will you be entertaining in your home over the next few weeks? If so, what kind of appetizers do you set out for your guests?

Apple Pie Flavored Yogurt Parfaits

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #YogurtInspiration #BreakfastInspiration #CollectiveBias

One of my favorite things about the holidays is all the delicious food, from turkey to sweet potatoes to the dessert table at our family parties. One staple that is always available at Thanksgiving is apple pie and sometimes there are leftovers of it that I get to enjoy. Occasionally I even sneak a piece for a special holiday breakfast!

I’ve thought about how I can recreate this breakfast treat in a healthier (and more socially acceptable) way and decided to create an apple pie flavored yogurt parfait. Unlike the traditional slice of apple pie, this one has a lot less calories and actually passes for a sensible breakfast! Yogurt parfaits are a great way to start the day because I always feel full all morning long when I have yogurt. Just one cup of yogurt is packed with the protein, calcium and Vitamin D my body needs and gives me the energy to get through my morning routine. Yogurt also helps support healthy bones which is something all women need.

Dannon All Natural Yogurt, made with only natural ingredients, is a staple in my home and I always buy the largest container I can find because this plain yogurt is the base ingredient for all the fruit smoothies I make and I also use it as a cooking substitute in recipes sometimes.

The best part about this breakfast is that it’s quick and easy to create so it’s perfect for busy mornings during the holiday season. I love making my own cinnamon apples but decided to try canned apple pie filling for this to give the parfait more of an apple pie taste and to make the recipe even simpler. (If you want a healthier version go with homemade cinnamon apples instead of the apple pie filling.)

Here’s what you’ll need to make one apple pie yogurt parfait:

  • 6 Tablespoons of Yogurt (I used Dannon All Natural Yogurt)
  • 4 Tablespoons of Apple Pie Filling
  • 1 Tablespoon of Graham Cracker Crumbs
  • 1/2 Teaspoon of Apple Pie Spice
  • A cup or bowl

Directions to make the parfait:

Mix the yogurt with the apple pie spice.

Put half of your yogurt into your bowl.

Add in two tablespoons of apple pie filling on top of the yogurt.

Add in another layer of yogurt followed by another label of apple pie filling.

Top with graham cracker crumbs and serve immediately.

I hope you enjoy this delicious breakfast treat! You can find Dannon All Natural Yogurt, and all the other ingredients you need to make this apple pie flavored breakfast parfait, at Meijer. While you are there grab a couple of my other favorites like Dannon’s Classic Coffee flavored yogurt and their delicious Fruit On The Bottom yogurt.

Do you like fruit and yogurt parfaits? What is your favorite?

PIN IT!

 

One Pot Italian Dinner

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Barilla® and Johnsonville®. The opinions and text are all mine.

During the fall I love finding easy, hearty dishes for my family. Sinisa recently made this delicious, one pot Italian meal and I just had to share it with you all. Not only is it fantastic because you only use one pot to cook everything, but it’s affordable, too!

Ingredients:

  • 12 oz.  of Barilla Blue Box Penne Pasta, uncooked
  • 3 Johnsonville Mild Italian Sausage Links
  • 1 can of crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup of cream
  • 1/2 an onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 cups of broth (chicken or vegetable)
  • 12 oz. of mushrooms (optional)
  • Seasoning to taste (we used parsley, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning)
  • Cooking oil

Directions:

Get a medium to large sized pot and add enough cooking oil to coat the bottom of the pot.

Cut the Johnsonville Mild Italian Sausage Links into bite size pieces.

Add your onions and sausage to the pot and cook them until meat is thoroughly cooked.

Add crushed tomatoes and broth to the pan.

Then add mushrooms, Barilla Pasta and seasonings.

 Pour cream over the top and then stir well.

Simmer on the stove top for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Your whole family will love this meal and you will love how easy it is on your wallet, costing less than 10 dollars. And cleanup is a snap.

You can find all of the ingredients you need for this meal at your local Kroger store, including the Johnsonville Mild Italian Sausage Links and Barilla Blue Box Pasta.

Pasta dishes are some of my favorite dinners to make, and I always have Barilla Blue Box Pasta, Italy’s #1 brand of pasta, stocked in my pantry. Pasta is perfect for busy nights and those last-minute dinner guests that come over before you can get to the grocery store! There are so many varieties of pasta dishes that you can make and you can personalize the dishes to your family’s likes and dislikes.

When we add meat to our pasta we often choose Johnsonville Mild Italian Sausage Links. They don’t require any additional seasonings which makes them convenient and flavorful additions to any pasta dish. We usually add them to our spaghetti, but Sinisa also likes to put the sausage in some soups he makes as well.

 What are your favorite pasta dishes to make in the fall?


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Football Party With A Baked Potato Bar

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AD #Tailgreatness #CollectiveBias

Football season is one of my favorite times of year and it’s a great excuse to get together with friends and family. This year I wanted to plan a party with a baked potato bar because I love party foods that let me enjoy the company and the football game instead of being stuck in the kitchen for hours. Along with the baked potato bar I’m sharing three of my favorite loaded baked potato recipes and information about Nexium® 24HR which provides all-day, all-night protection from frequent heartburn so I can enjoy my favorite baked potato toppings (even the spicy ones!) all season long. Of course, my love of themed parties means I have to share all the party decorating details and three easy, but delicious, dessert ideas!

DECOR

Walmart has a plethora of football tableware and decorations and I chose to do some quick DIY projects as well. I made a colorful banner that says “Go Team” using some green paper and letter cutouts which I hung from string using cute little clothespins.

Silverware holders can be created out of mason jars with a piece of ribbon wrapped around the top and football shaped confetti at the bottom of the jar. I also made labels for all of the bowls on the table from little wood place settings by adding a football sticker and writing the names of the food on them. BAKED POTATO BAR

I love a good baked potato with the typical butter, cheese, sour cream and bacon toppings but there are so many other delicious toppings out there, too. I set out a variety of choices that would appeal to a number of diets, from vegetarian to meat lovers.

I also included options for every palate- from mild to spicy. I bought condiment bottles so I could offer a variety of sauces including hot sauce, barbecue sauce, ranch dressing and buffalo sauce.



Speaking of spicy…do you avoid spicy foods because they give you heartburn? I used to avoid a number of heartburn inducing foods, knowing that as soon as I laid down I’d be regretting my dinner choices, but now I don’t have to anymore! Just one pill a day and you can get all-day, all-night protection from frequent heartburn with Nexium® 24HR* (*Use as directed. *May take 1-4 days for full effect.)

So now that you aren’t worried about heartburn, I wanted to share three of my favorite baked potato topping combos.

Buffalo Chicken Baked Potato Ingredients:

  • Baked Potato
  • Chicken
  • Buffalo Sauce
  • Blue Cheese Dressing
  • Blue Cheese

Mix your chicken and buffalo sauce together. The more sauce you use the wetter and tangier the potato will be. Once done, cut your potato open and add in the chicken and blue cheese then drizzle with more buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing.

BBQ Pork Baked Potato Ingredients

  • Baked Potato
  • BBQ Pulled Pork
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • BBQ Sauce
  • Fried Onions

This baked potato is really easy to make! Slice the baked potato and then put the pulled pork inside. Sprinkle cheese on top and fried onions and then drizzle barbecue sauce on top of your baked potato.

Chili & Cheese Baked Potato Ingredients:

  • Baked Potato
  • Chili
  • Shredded Cheese (or Cheese Sauce)
  • Corn Chips
  • Green Onions
  • Sour Cream

If your fall go-to meal is chili you’ll love this chili topped baked potato. Just add your favorite chili and top it with shredded cheese, green onions, sour cream and corn chips.

SNACKS, DESSERTS & DRINKS

No party is complete without appetizers and desserts! I found cute popcorn containers that had a football design and put popcorn, corn chips and tortilla chips in them. I also used a football serving dish for the dips and set out salsa, cheese sauce and guacamole.

For dessert I made a few different treats with store bought bakery items. To keep with the football theme I used a football shaped cookie cutter to cut football shapes out of brownies and then I used white icing to draw “laces” on them.

I used the excess brownie pieces to make trifles by layering brownies, chocolate pudding and whipped cream in cups and then topping them with green hard candy sprinkles. Since my kids love cupcakes I got some of those and put them in football cupcake wrappers and added brown and green chocolate candies to the top of them.

To drink I offered two options- water and root beer. I tied a festive straw on to the bottles with football themed ribbon.

So now that you are prepared for a football party with decorations and food, don’t forget to take Nexium® 24HR daily for all-day, all-night protection from frequent heartburn so you can enjoy the party and all the football fun!

Nexium® 24HR is the #1 Choice of Doctors and Pharmacists* for their own frequent heartburn. (*Among PCPs and Pharmacists who use a branded OTC PPI) You can find 42 count packages of tablets or capsules at your local Walmart store by the other over the counter medications. Each box has 3 smaller bottles inside with 14 days worth of capsules/tablets.

What foods would you serve at your football party? Whatever you choose, don’t get sidelined by frequent heartburn! Make sure to get ready for tailgreatness and take your Nexium® 24HR daily to ensure you can enjoy all of your favorite party foods.

*May take 1 to 4 days for full effect. Use as directed.

Hawaiian Pork Sliders

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smithfield® Marinated Pork. The opinions and text are all mine.

With the nights getting even busier as the school year continues, I’m trying to add more easy recipes to my menu plan. I normally make meals in the crock pot that cook while I work. But sometimes I don’t start thinking about dinner until after I’ve picked the kids up from school, and by then it’s too late to throw something in the slow cooker. Thankfully I’ve discovered the best recipe for nights like that- Hawaiian Pork Sliders!

These sliders can be made with less than 15 minutes of prep time which make them perfect for dinner on busy school nights. They are also a great lunch recipe because you can whip them up quickly before sitting down to watch the football game on Sunday afternoon with your friends and family. I also like that any leftovers can be enjoyed the next day for lunch either as a sandwich or even recreated into Hawaiian Pork Fried Rice. Since I’m really focusing on making sure that I don’t skip lunch it’s always great to have some leftovers in the fridge, and pork is such a versatile ingredient.

To make the sliders I used Smithfield Marinated Sweet Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin. The pork comes already marinated so it didn’t need any additional flavoring or spices added to it which makes busy nights easier. This also helps keep the ingredient list for this recipe low. All you need to create these delicious sliders are four ingredients!

RECIPE

Makes about 8 sandwiches.

Ingredients:

  • Smithfield Marinated Sweet Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin
  • Can of pineapple slices
  • Bottle of honey barbecue sauce
  • Small round rolls

Directions:

Take the pork tenderloin out of the package and slice it into ½ inch thick slices. Lay the slices out onto a foil covered pan and cook the pork in the oven for 30 minutes at 450 degrees F.

While the meat is cooking you can sauté the pineapple in a sauce pan. Start with a hot pan and cook the pineapple slices for one minute on each side.

Once the pineapple and pork are cooked you are ready to assemble your sandwich. Cut a roll in half and on the bottom piece set a couple pieces of pork, a pineapple slice and a drizzle of barbecue sauce, then top with the other half of the roll.

Hope your family enjoys these sweet Hawaiian Pork Sliders!

You can find Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork products at your local Kroger store in the refrigerated cases of the meat department.

Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork is made from 100% fresh pork and is packed with protein. Their products are available in Loin Filets, Sirloin, or Tenderloin cuts and a variety of flavors including:

  • Smithfield Roasted Garlic & Herb
  • Smithfield Roasted Garlic & Cracked Black Pepper
  • Smithfield Sweet Teriyaki
  • Smithfield Southwest Style Peppercorn
  • Smithfield Slow Smoked Mesquite

While at the store, we also bought the Smithfield Marinated Roasted Garlic and Herb Pork Tenderloin. I’ll be putting that in the slow cooker tomorrow with some potatoes and carrots so we can come home from sports practice to a hot, home cooked meal.

Need more meal ideas? Visit Smithfield for recipes you can make on busy school nights. Their #RealFlavorRealFast recipe index has a bunch of great ideas including Veggie-Stuffed Pork Loin with Creamy Mustard Sauce and Filet Mignon Pork with Buttery Mushrooms. Those sound delicious and are perfect for busy nights because both can be made in 30 minutes or less. They look so fancy, though, and your family will think you slaved all afternoon in the kitchen! Instead, use that time saved to play a new game with your kids, curl up on the couch with a good book or go out to lunch with your friends. You deserve it, Mom!

What Real Fast recipe do you want to try first?

@SmithfieldBrand

Mini Pumpkin Cake Bites

I’ve been seeing lots of pictures in my Facebook feed of all my friends at the pumpkin patch with their kids and I can’t wait to go pick pumpkins with my boys this year. I thought it would be fun to make some pumpkin mini cakes to celebrate this wonderful time of year (and the fact that fall temps are coming to Chicago this week)!

Ingredients

  • Box Cake Mix (any flavor) and ingredients needed to make the cake
  • Frosting (any flavor)
  • Tootsie Rolls
  • Orange Colored Chocolate Candy Melts

Directions

  • Make your cake mix according to the directions on the box and let cool.
  • Crumble cake mix into a large bowl.
  • Add in one can of frosting and stir together.
  • Form into teaspoon size balls and place on a wax paper covered cookie sheet.
  • Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  • In a separate bowl, melt candy melts according to the package.
  • Using a fork, dip cake balls into the melted chocolate and place on a cookie sheet.
  • Cut a tootsie roll in half and place on top of the cake ball in the middle.

I chose to use a Funfetti cake mix with Halloween sprinkles for my cake bites but you can make them with any cake mix you’d like. I think a pumpkin flavored cake mix would be fantastic in this recipe.

Candy Corn Haystacks

Butterscotch haystacks are one of my favorite cookies and one I make often because they are so easy to make. These no-bake cookies only need a few ingredients and, while the inclusion of noodles in this cookie may make you question them, they really taste delicious! They are also versatile. I first shared the recipe for them on my blog in 2010 as a Christmas treat idea. Then this past March made them into nests topped with PEEPS for an Easter treat. Now I’m transforming them into the perfect fall treat by adding a Halloween candy staple to them.

Makes 15-20 haystack cookies.

Ingredients

  • 1 package of butterscotch morsels
  • ½ cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1½ packages (18 ounces) crispy chow mein noodles
  • Candy corn

Directions

Melt butterscotch morsels in a microwave-safe bowl in microwave for 30 seconds on high power, then stir. Continue melting for 10-second intervals, stirring after each one, until smooth.

Stir peanut butter into melted butterscotch and thoroughly combine.

Place crispy chow mein noodles into a large bowl and add butterscotch/peanut butter mixture. Combine until all noodles are coated.

Drop a tablespoon of chow mein mixture onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper and repeat with the remaining mixture.

Top each haystack with a few candy corn.

Refrigerate until the haystacks harden, about 30–60 minutes and store in an airtight container or plastic bag.

It’s amazing how the crispy, kind of salty flavor of the chow mein noodles mix with the butterscotch and peanut butter flavors to form one sweet Halloween treat. Hope you all enjoy them!

Mummy Pretzel Sticks

Looking for a super easy snack for Halloween parties? These Mummy Pretzel Sticks take less than 10 minutes to make and can be a fun afternoon activity for children to help with. Kids (and adults!) will love these spooky treats.

Recipe yields 15-20 Mummy Pretzel Sticks

Ingredients

  • Pretzel rods
  • Package of white chocolate candy melts
  • Candy eyes or black icing (found by the sprinkles)
  • White icing (optional)

Melt the white chocolate candy melts according to the directions on the package

Dip the pretzel rods in the white chocolate and lay them on wax paper

Use the icing to pipe zigzag lines across the white chocolate

Add two eyes to each “mummy” using either the candy eyes or dots of black icing

Aren’t these fun?! What’s your favorite Halloween treat?

 

Monster Krispies

Now that the kids are back in school we are getting ready for the next big things in our life- our family vacation and Halloween. Since my Disney Halloween playlist is getting so many views the past couple weeks I figured many of you all are in the Halloween mood as well. I wanted to share a super fun, quick Halloween treat that your kids can help you make.

I am calling this treat “Monster Krispies” because they are rice krispy treats designed to look like monsters. You can make homemade rice krispy treats or take the easy way out (like I did) and use the premade treats. No judgement here :)

Along with rice krispy treats, you will need colored candy wafers (found by the cake supplies at Michaels and Hobby Lobby) and candy eyes (found by the sprinkles). Now a word of caution here: I recommend finding wafers that are the color you want. I thought I’d get creative and use white candy melts with food coloring but the extra stirring caused the candy melts to turn into a frosting like paste which will not work for this recipe.

To start, melt your candy wafers according to the packaging. You’ll want to stir every so often and get out all the lumps.

Once melted, dip your rice krispy treat in the melted chocolate and completely coat the rice krispy treat. (I recommend putting a stick or skewer into the rice krispy treat for easy dipping.)

Let the excess candy drip off the rice krispy treat and then lay it out on wax paper or parchment paper.

Immediately put the candy eyes on the treats. I chose to make mine look like monsters with many eyes.

Let the Monster Krispies harden and then put in an airtight container once done.

What’s your favorite Halloween treat to make?

Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad On A Pita

This post was made possible by iConnect and Litehouse Foods. I was compensated for my participation in this campaign, but all opinions are 100% mine. #SoldinCold

 

Lunch has always been a meal that I tend to skip because I’m so busy working that I forget to eat. I’ve started making “eat lunch” an appointment on my calendar to remind myself to take a break and eat something. Since I only have about 15 minutes or so to eat I try to make things that are easy and quick. Today I chose to make myself a chicken bacon ranch salad wrap for lunch and it was so delicious I had to share it with you all!

Ingredients:

To make:
  • Slice your chicken, onion, tomato and pepper
  • Layer your veggies, bacon and chicken on your pita
  • Sprinkle cheese on top
  • Drizzle with Litehouse dressing 

This lunch was filling and delicious. I love Litehouse’s Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing but had never had any of their ranch dressings before. I love this one flavored with avocados and real bacon. They also have Homestyle Ranch and Jalapeno Ranch flavored dressings. You can find Litehouse products in the refrigerated produce section of your local supermarket.

What is your favorite lunch recipe? I’d love for you to share in the comments below since I can always use more ideas!

Autumn Snack Mix For Happy Snacking

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MixMatchMunch #CollectiveBias

In preparation for back-to-school I decided to come up with some new after school snack ideas. I wanted to make something that we could easily bring with us to afternoon sports and activities. Since Lucas loves Goldfish® crackers so much I wanted to incorporate them into a snack mix and, with fall around the corner, I thought it would be fun to make a fall harvest themed one.

I used two varieties of Goldfish crackers- the Mix (which includes Xtra Cheddar and Pretzel Goldfish crackers) and the Original Cheddar flavor.

Along with Goldfish crackers I included a handful of other items that reminded me of fall. Since apple picking is a favorite Autumn activity I added some dried apples into the mix, along with raisins and dried cranberries. For a sweet touch, I also added in orange, yellow, red and brown chocolate candies and a bit of sprinkles in little leaf shapes. To add an extra crunch I included some plain popcorn in the mix.

To make the snack mix just add each ingredient to your bowl and then stir it together!

Lucas loved the mix I had created and I love that I found a fun snack that he and Jacob can enjoy all year long. There is nothing better than seeing my kids smile with joy over something I’ve created for them!

Another simple snack the kids enjoy is Goldfish crackers paired with fresh fruit. Their favorites are grapes and strawberries and personally I like to pair mine with apple slices. It’s such a simple snack the whole family can enjoy.

Bulk boxes of Goldfish crackers are on rollback now for $5.98 at Walmart! I love that I can buy them in bulk because they are a staple in our house! You can also save $1.00 on any ONE (1) Bolthouse Farms® 10 oz. Baby Carrots or Bolthouse Farms(® 11 oz. juice when you buy any ONE (1) Pepperidge Farm® Goldfish® crackers 30 oz. or larger.

Which Goldfish crackers variety is your favorite?

Ghostbusters Themed College Care Package

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BTSSpirit #CollectiveBias

This year my little sister will be a junior in college. It’s hard to believe because I can still remember the morning my mom went into labor and the months of hospital trips to the NICU that followed to visit this little one pound, fourteen ounce miracle baby. She’s turned into a beautiful woman and I’m so proud of the amazing, caring person she has become.

Since the new school year is just starting I thought I’d send her a college care package. When I was in college I loved having movie nights with my roommate and friends in my dorm so I thought it would be fun to send her a movie themed package she could enjoy with her friends. With the new Ghostbusters movie out in theaters, and the all-women cast of leading ladies, what better to send for a movie night with girlfriends than a SLIME-tastic college care package?!

When trying to figure out what to put the care package in I chose to use a clear container that my sister could reuse for storage. I started by loading it with a ton of candy. I added in some fun Ghostbusters M&M’s® bottles that I had found plus a variety of other chocolate favorites like SNICKERS®, Twix® and Milky Way®.

I then added in two of the old Ghostbusters movies. Since both Ghostbusters 1 and Ghostbusters 2 came out before her and her friends were even born, I thought they should watch those before they went to see the new movie. I also included a green portable speaker so that they could get better sound when playing the movies from their computer. This little Stay Puft Marshmallow Man character was the perfect addition as well and will put a smile on the face of anyone who sees him.

Another thing that is a must have while watching movies is popcorn. I added some microwavable popcorn packages in the care package and decided to take it a step further by sending additional supplies to make “slime” popcorn. It was super easy to make and can be sent in separate containers so that it can be made fresh whenever they are ready for movie night!

Directions:

Mix green food coloring into the marshmallow cream until you get your desired shade of green.

Pick out green M&M’s® candies from the bag.

Put both the marshmallow cream and the candies in their own separate containers.

Once they get to your student it’s easy for them to make the microwave popcorn, drizzle the green marshmallow “slime” on the popcorn and top it with green M&M’s®. It’s the perfect combo of sweet and salty!

The last thing I added in was a Ghostbusters tin container and a container of green Peanut M&M’s®. Feel free to add in anything else your college student needs while they are away at college or that they could use for a fun girls night!

I found all of the chocolate, and everything else I needed for the college care package, at Walmart. Look for the fun Ghostbusters M&M’s® display near the front of the store and keep an eye out for the in store coupon with savings of $0.75 off 1 M&M’s® Bottle now through September 30th!

Have you ever sent a college care package? What would you have added to it along with the chocolate?

Cereal Coated Fruit Pops Recipe

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RealDelicious #CerealAnytime #CollectiveBias

We love cereal for breakfast but one of the best things about cereal is that it’s really perfect for anytime of day! I love snacking on cereal while I work and the boys like eating it as an after school snack. We even sometimes have it at dinner with some fresh fruit or at dessert time, sprinkled over ice cream. One of the ways I enjoy cereal is as a topping on yogurt parfaits so I thought it would be fun to try making something different with those three ingredients and came up with cereal covered fruit pops.

Cereal covered fruit pops are just what they sound like- fruit (coated in yogurt) that is then covered with cereal. When I was at Walmart I bought a few varities of Post cereal and decided to try this recipe out with a couple of them. I chose to use Fruity Pebbles and Berry Colossal Crunch since both were fruity flavored and would go well with fruit. I let the boys pick out the fruit we’d use for this recipe and they chose apple slices, strawberries and grapes.

To start, you’ll want to gather all of your ingredients. You’ll need:

  • 2 cups of cereal
  • 2 small cartons of yogurt (plain or flavored)
  • Fruit of your choice (we used 1/2 a bag of presliced apples, 1/4 of the grapes in a bag, and 1/2 a carton of strawberries)
  • Lollipop sticks

How to make the cereal covered fruit pops:

1) You’ll want the cereal to be in small pieces for this recipe. Fruity Pebbles piece sizes or smaller are fine but anything larger (like Berry Colossal Crunch) needs to be broken into smaller pieces. To do so, put the cereal into a ziploc bag and use your hands or a rolling pin to crush the pieces into smaller bits.

2) Put a lollipop stick into the middle of a piece of fruit, about halfway through

3) Dip the fruit in the yogurt, fully coating it

4) Sprinkle the cereal on the fruit

5) Put the cereal coated fruit pops in the freezer for about two hours

This would be perfect for an after-school snack because you can make it in the afternoon and it will be ready by the time the kids come home from school! You could also make it with the kids in the afternoon and they could enjoy it as an after dinner treat.

If you are looking to recreate this recipe, or just have a household of cereal lovers, you’ll want to visit your local Walmart for great deals on Post cereal. With all the money we are spending on back-to-school supplies it’s nice to save a bit of money on essentials like cereal!

What is your favorite time of day to enjoy cereal?

Blueberry Chicken Salad Recipe

I was challenged by Nature’s Harvest bread to come up with a Finding Dory themed sandwich recipe to share with my readers in this sponsored post.

Disney – Pixar’s “Finding Dory” is almost out in theaters! Are your kids as excited as mine? I wanted to add a little Dory fun into our typical chicken salad recipe so Sinisa and I created this amazing blueberry chicken salad recipe. Typically, if chicken salad has fruit in it, it’s either grapes or apples but I figured why not add some blueberries instead to celebrate the movie coming to theaters since Dory is blue! I love the mix of flavors that this sandwich has.

Here’s what you will need to make the sandwiches:

  • Nature’s Harvest Bread
  • 3 Cups of diced chicken
  • 1/2 a red pepper
  • 1 stick of celery
  • 1/2 cup of green onions
  • 1/2 cup of mayonaise
  • 2 tablespoons of greek yogurt
  • 1 cup of blueberries
  • 1/2 cup of pecans
  • Salt and pepper to taste

This chicken salad is easy to make!

1) Mix together all ingredients other than the blueberries (and bread of course)

2) Gently fold in the blueberries

3) Put between two slices of Nature’s Harvest bread

 

Select packages of specially-marked Nature’s Harvest® bread will feature the lovable characters from Disney• Pixar’s “Finding Dory,” which hits theaters this Friday.

 

For kid’s sandwiches you can use a cookie cutter to cut out a fish, whale or seashell from the bread before you put the chicken salad on the bread. Serve with goldfish crackers for a fun lunch!

Want even more Finding Dory fun? Nature’s Harvest® bread is hosting the Make A Splash with Whole Grains Sweepstakes on its Facebook page now through July 7th, where fans can enter for a chance to win weekly prizes, including movie tickets, autographed posters and more. No purchase necessary. See official rules here.

Have you ever added blueberries to your chicken salad? If not, would you try it?

 

PEEPS Nests Recipe And Peeps-a-licious Cookbook Giveaway

I am so excited to share about this new cookbook that came out called Peeps-a-licious that features 50 fun recipes made with PEEPS. I’m honored to have been asked to contribute to this cookbook and have shared three delicious recipes in it. I’m sharing my favorite one below along with a giveaway where five people will win a copy of this new cookbook.

Makes 15—20 Nests

Ingredients

  • 1 (11-ounce) package butterscotch morsels
  • ½ cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1½ packages (18 ounces) crispy chow mein noodles
  • 15–20 PEEPS® Marshmallow Chicks, assorted colors
  • 1–2 packages JUST BORN® Brand Jelly Beans, or your favorite variety (you just need white jelly beans)

Directions

  • Melt butterscotch morsels in a microwave-safe bowl in microwave for 30 seconds on high power, then stir. Continue melting for 10-second intervals, stirring after each one, until smooth.
  • Stir peanut butter into melted butterscotch and thoroughly combine.
  • Place crispy chow mein noodles into a large bowl and add butterscotch/peanut butter mixture. Combine until all noodles are coated.
  • Drop a tablespoon of chow mein mixture onto a baking sheet or plate lined with wax paper. Make an indent in the middle of the mixture to form a nest shape. Repeat with remaining mixture.
  • Refrigerate until nests harden, about 30–60 minutes.
  • To finish the nests, add 3–5 jelly beans in the center of each nest and top with a PEEPS® Chick

GIVEAWAY

Five readers will each win 1 copy of the Peeps-a-licious cookbook

HOW TO ENTER

Share this giveaway on social media and leave a comment below with the link and why you want to win

Giveaway ends April 1, 2016 at 11:59pm CST.

Mango Baked Beans Recipe

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The National Mango Board.

The easiest way to break out of a routine is to try something new. That is especially true for food. I enjoy trying new foods and introducing my boys to them.

One fruit I recently introduced to my children were mangoes. In order to learn a bit more about mangoes and how to prepare them easily I went to a cooking presentation with my son Luke. The event was sponsored by The National Mango Board. It was very fun for us both and very enlightening.

Most people do not realize there are 6 variety of mangoes in the USA and that mangoes are one of the few fruits available the whole year round. Besides just being very delicious and versatile when it comes to their use, mangoes are actually very healthy. They have as much Vitamin C as oranges. One cup of diced mango contains 100 calories, 1 gram protein, 0.5 grams fat, 25 grams of carbohydrate (23 grams of sugar and 3 grams of fiber), 100% of the daily need for vitamin C, 35% for vitamin A, 20% of folate, 10% of vitamin B-6 and 8% of vitamin K and potassium. That’s a lot of goodness in one fruit!

Together, Luke and I learned and created awesome mango snack recipes from a culinary expert.Here are some tips we were given:

  • Selecting: Don’t judge a mango by its color – red does not mean ripe. To find a ripe mango, just squeeze gently. A ripe mango will be slightly soft like a peach or avocado. A firm mango will ripen at room temperature over a few days.
  • Prepping: To cut a mango, simply slice off the sides of the fruit, avoiding the large seed in the center.  Once you have these two sides, you can get to the flesh and slice or dice as needed. Then, simply scoop it out of the skin. For more on how to cut a mango or delicious new recipes, visit Mango.org.
  • Storing: Keep unripe mangoes at room temperature. Never refrigerate mangos before they are ripe. Once ripe, mangoes can be moved to the refrigerator to slow down ripening for several days.

And some fun facts I didn’t know about the tasty Mango:

  • Mangos are one of the most popular fruit in the World
  • Mangos were first grown in India over 5,000 years ago
  • Mango seeds traveled with humans from Asia to the Middle East, East Africa and South America beginning around 300 or 400 A.D.
  • The paisley pattern, developed in India, is based on the shape of a mango
  • A basket of mangos is considered a gesture of friendship in India
  • Legend says that Buddha meditated under the cool shade of a mango tree
  • Mangos are related to cashews and pistachios
  • A mango tree can grow as tall as 100 feet
  • The bark, leaves, skin and pit of the mango have been used in folk remedies for centuries.

Luke learned how to make a Cinco De Mango Quesadilla and Frozen Yogurt Dipped Mango Pops. At first Luke was shy about the Mangoes but then once he realized how sweet and juicy they were he was hooked. .

As we were both delighted we decided to make a tasty dish with mango at home very soon. We received a great cookbook full of flavorful mango recipes. I chose to try out the Mango Baked Bean recipe this week.

This is a very easy recipe. The prep time is just a few minutes. I started by gathering all the ingredients. I chopped the bacon and onions and the mango. While the bacon was frying, I started to make the sauce.  It’s a very sweet sauce with molasses and brown sugar.

As soon as the bacon was crispy and onions were clear, I added the beans and combined the sauce. The last thing to add was the mango (mango can be pureed or in chunks). Everything needs to be stirred well together and then it needs to be baked in the oven.

While the beans are baking you can go ahead and make anything you wish to use as the main entree. I chose to grill up some steak and shrimp because it was a nice day and fresh grilled meat sounded fantastic.

I hope you are a fan of mangoes. If you just became one, head out to a grocery store and pick up a few. Make a dish, juice them, or best of all eat them freshly cut up. I would love to hear what you came up with.

Pasta Carbonara and Tuna Cake Recipes

This post was sponsored by KRAFT and I was compensated to write it. Regardless, what I have written is my own opinion and experience, and I hope you find it of use.

Dining out at a nice restaurant can be one of the best experiences a family has together but, during the school year and sports season, it can be hard to find the time to dine out with everyone’s hectic schedules. I myself find my own family pressed for time but wish to have a great dinnertime bonding experience over a delicious dinner that was made quickly. I discovered that KRAFT had recipes online that could help me  ‘Twist That Dish’ while saving time and money.

With KRAFT products, many ordinary items that are already in the pantry or the refrigerator can be turned into amazing restaurant quality dinners in just 10 to 15 minutes. When the kids ask for seconds you will know you have won big time. The biggest time saver for me is shopping at Sam’s Club and getting KRAFT products in bulk so at any time I can make many different recipes with a new twist on favorites.

I fell in love with two recipes on the Samsclub.com/kraftrecipes website that when put together create a gourmet dinner worthy of sit down restaurants. I chose PHILADELPHIA Quick Pasta Carbonara and Tuna Cakes.

As with all great dinners a good deal of multitasking is involved but, with recipes provided by KRAFT, everything was simple and easy. I started by mixing the tuna cakes mix. I gathered all the ingredients and mixed them. I did this first because the mix needs to rest in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

While the mix was resting I got started on the Pasta recipe. I cooked the pasta according to the instructions on the box of fettuccine noodles I had in my pantry.

Just before the pasta was completely done I got to working on the sauce. The first step was to fry up the bacon. I used Oscar Mayer Bacon with Maple which made the pasta a bit sweeter (which is my trick for the picky kids).

Once the bacon was done, I stirred the rest of the ingredients in the grease as per the recipe provided by KRAFT. The key to this sauce recipe is to make sure the sauce is creamy and consistent and the cheese does not burn.

Once the sauce was ready I added the cooked noodles and the bacon and stirred well.

Once the pasta and the sauce were combined it was time to fry up the tuna cakes. To do this, use a non-stick skillet and an ice cream scoop to make portions. Cook them on both sides until golden brown.

The hardest thing about creating these KRAFT recipes was trying not to eat anything before plating the food.

 Everything turned out amazing and even the kids loved it. I am glad all KRAFT food products needed for these recipes can be purchased in bulk  online and in-club at my local Sam’s Club. I hope you enjoyed these recipes and will check out samsclub.com/kraftrecipes. Which recipe will you try tonight?

Shrimp Tacos With Mango Salsa Recipe

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Jewel-Osco. The opinions and text are all mine.

Getting started on a meal menu plan is not an easy task. When planning meals for the whole family there are so many things to consider especially when you have little kids. As much as I focus on kid friendly meals there is at least one meal a week that is designed for my soul. This week is no different. I personally love fish and would love to eat it every day, so for this week I chose a simple recipe for shrimp tacos with mango salsa. Most of my shopping is done at Jewel and with the help of Jewel’s new app MyMixx. It helps me to remember everything by creating a grocery list and inspires me with recipes and even sends me paperless receipts.

This is a very easy to make recipe and importantly all the ingredients are available fresh year round. All the ingredients blend perfectly together to make you fall in love with your meal. Shrimp is great because it will keep its texture and stays juicy through the cooking process and it can be flavored in so many ways.

Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

Ingredients (for 2 people):

  • 1 mango
  • 2 tomatoes chopped
  • 1/2 jalapeno fine diced
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cucumber chopped
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 2 TB sugar
  • 1/2 cup lime juice
  • 20-30 medium size shrimp without the tails

Procedure

In a medium bowl combine the onions, tomatoes, jalapenos and cilantro with a pinch of salt. Mix well and drain.

Once the mix is drained well add the chopped mango pieces.

 Next add the cucumbers, sugar and the lime juice. Mix everything together so you can see all the colors. Chill the salsa before serving.

While the salsa is being chilled, the shrimp can be prepared. Lightly heat up a teaspoon of olive oil and toss the shrimp in a skillet. Season to taste with either a fajita seasoning or a hot sauce. There is no wrong choice. I chose to make today’s meal not spicy.

Once the shrimp is heated through, heat up the tortillas and serve. Place the shrimp on tortillas and top with mango salsa. Add cheese and sour cream if you wish to.

This was a tasty, light meal. Very easy to create and even easier to buy the ingredients. With Jewel’s MyMixx app I save so much time and I get inspired to create awesome meals using only the finest ingredients. The whole family loves the app and we can’t wait to see more recipes and the deals that come out weekly.

Chocolate Lovebug Cupcakes {Recipe}

Valentine’s Day is coming up and what better way to celebrate than with these adorable Chocolate ‘Lovebug’ Cupcakes! Enjoy!

active 15 min  total 25 min (plus decorating)

makes 24 mini cupcakes

cost per cupcake 27¢

Ingredients:

  • Mini paper liners
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 Tbsp unsweetened dark cocoa (not Dutch-processed)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • 4 large egg whites
  • 2 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • Icing and decorations

Directions:

  • Heat oven to 400°F. Line a 24-cup mini muffin pan with paper liners. 
  • In a large bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy, then whisk in the oil and vanilla. Add the egg white mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Fold in the chocolate.
  • Divide the batter among the lined muffin cups and bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool on wire racks. Decorate as desired.

Per cupcake 99 cal, 2 g fat (0 g sat fat), 0 mg chol, 51 mg sod, 1 g pro, 18 g car, 0 g fiber

Thanks to Woman’s Day for sharing the recipe with me. You can find this recipe and more delicious Valentine’s Day treats at WomansDay.com and in their magazine. (Image courtesy of: Kat Teutsch)

Bread & Butter: My Italian Dinner Staple

Today I’m partnering with La Brea Bakery, as part of their Breaking Bread with La Brea Bakery tour stop in Chicago, to show how easy it is to make flavored butter and create a bread banquet for a large Italian meal. I’m not Italian but I love eating pasta (like my mom’s homemade cheese lasagna recipe). To start I headed to Jewel to buy bread from the bakery department. There was a whole La Brea bread display so I picked up four different varieties: Italian loaf, French loaf, three cheese, and a garlic loaf.

I bought five different cheeses and then decided to do something I’d never done before….make my own flavored butter! I bought some crushed garlic, green onions and fresh herbs. I had planned to make a savory butter to go with my garlic and cheese breads but once I got home from the store I decided to make a sweet butter instead. Since my favorite thing to add to toast is cinnamon and sugar I thought this would be a nice addition to the spread.

The flavored butter was extremely easy to make. I let a half stick of butter soften at room temperature before I cut it into large chunks in a small bowl. I then added a packet of seasoning I had in my spice cabinet that consisted of sugar, cinnamon and vanilla beans. The last step was to whip the butter and spices together and refrigerate once they were all mixed together. You can do really any combination of flavors that you think sound good. The next one I’m going to make will be garlic and parmesan cheese flavored.

Once your homemade butter is made you can transfer it to a prettier dish or container. I chose to use little plastic sauce containers that I put into red polka dot cupcake wrappers to go with my red, white and blue themed table. This worked well for the spreadable herb cheese that I bought as well. No ugly store bought plastic containers allowed on the table ;)

The next step was to set out all the sliced loafs of bread and cheeses. I used little cheese stakes in the cheeses and cute decorative toothpicks in the bread so everyone would know what flavors they were eating.

Here was the finished bread banquet:

Learn more about La Brea Bakery on their website. If you live in Charlotte, North Carolina, try free samples of La Brea Bakery’s delicious bread June 12th-15th and June 18th-21st.

Game Time Snack: RITZ Pastrami and Corned Beef Mini Sandwiches

Check out this amazing game time appetizer that the folks at Ritz shared with me. This featured recipe is the snack-size take on the famous Carnegie Deli signature dish. Yum!

Find the recipe here.

Meatloaf Sandwiches {Recipe}

With the big game coming up I wanted to share this perfect sandwich created by Executive Chef John Brand of Mokara Hotel and Spa and Ostra restaurant. Chef Brand created this recipe with LoSalt instead of regular salt which is an easy way to reduce sodium intake.

Serves 6 people

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
  • 1 c. bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 Serrano Pepper seeds removed fine chopped
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon LoSalt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup JRB BBQ Sauce
  • 1 cup Ketchup
  • 1/2 cup Veal stock
  • 3 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tbsp. Maple Syrup
  • 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 c. Parmesan Reggiano
  • 4 Slices Applewood Smoked Bacon

Liquid Mixture:

In a small bowl, combine JRB BBQ sauce, ketchup, Balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and veal stock.

Meat Mixture:

In a large bowl, combine beef, bread crumbs, onions, green bell pepper, parsley, chopped garlic, egg, seasonings, 3/4 cup of liquid mixture, and Parmesan cheese.

Form into loaf. Place into shallow 7 by 10 in. pan or bread loaf tin, lightly oiled. Top with bacon Slices and glaze with some of the remaining liquid mixture to coat.

Bake in a 350°F oven for one hour and 15 minutes, basting occasionally with remaining liquid mixture or straight barbecue sauce. Drain off excess rendered fat as needed during cooking process.

Service:

Toasted potato or challah buns, small, slider size.  Serve 3 oz warm meatloaf slice on a bun with sharp white cheddar.

(Disclosure: I was not compensated for posting this recipe but this recipe was provided by LoSalt.)

 

 

Getting Kids To Try New Vegetables {Veggie Pinwheels Recipe}

(Disclosure: This is a sponsored post but all thoughts are my own.)

My boys are leery of new foods and if I put any on their dinner plate they eye them, poke them, and smell them and then say “I don’t like this”. I remind them that they won’t know if they like something unless they taste it and that usually gets some grumbles but they eventually end up trying the new food. They’ve discovered a variety of new favorites this way. Jacob especially loves red, orange and yellow peppers and Lucas has found he likes a variety of different fruits and that sweet peas are pretty good too (especially when he can pop them out of the pod).

One vegetable the boys had never tried before was radishes. Even as an adult I can’t remember a time when I had a radish on anything other than a salad. Duda Farm Fresh Foods makes Radish MiniSticks. They’re ready-to-eat shredded radishes that are very crunchy and juicy.

I was challenged to try to integrate this veggie in a recipe. I remembered one of my favorite way to eat cucumbers is with ham and cream cheese and then I immediately thought about making a kid-friendly wrap for the kids. I used cucumbers and peppers along with the radishes but if your child has a vegetable they prefer you can substitute it. I thought the hint of sweetness worked perfect with the tangy taste of the radishes.

Ingredients:

  • Cucumber (sliced thin)
  • Bag of Radish MiniSticks
  • Sweet Peppers (sliced thin)
  • Ham (lunchmeat)
  • Provolone Cheese slices
  • Cream Cheese
  • Tortillas
  • Toothpicks (optional, makes cutting easier)
Directions:
  • Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on a tortilla
  • Sprinkle veggies on the cream cheese
  • Add a couple of slices of ham and cheese
  • Starting at one end, roll tortilla
  • Stick toothpicks in the top of the roll to make cutting easier
  • Cut roll into slices making sure a toothpick is in each slice
  • Remove toothpick before eating

The verdict? Yum! The pinwheel sandwiches are a fun alternative to normal lunches and are full of crunchy veggies! What vegetable filled recipes have you tried with your kids lately?

 

 

Mom’s Homemade Cheese Lasagna Recipe

Disclosure: This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Barilla, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #JoytotheTable  http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.

When I was growing up I used to love when my mom made lasagna. It was my favorite meal that she made and it’s really hard to eat lasagna any other way. Meat in lasagna? No way! ;)

I’ve been craving lasagna for a while now and I kept pushing it off because I’ve been too busy to cook anything that takes longer than 15 minutes to make. I remembered yesterday though, while making it, how easy it actually was to put together. Also, since it makes more than my family can eat at one time, I have a couple days of leftovers so in the end I’ve saved myself cooking time.

My mom (with Jacob)

Today I want to share my mom’s homemade cheese lasagna recipe. It should be noted that my mom spent her last years of life sick and slowly losing her memory with every seizure she had and during those years rewrote a lot of her recipes. This one I believe was one of those rewritten ones because sliced provolone cheese was the fourth kind of cheese she used and it was omitted from the new recipe. I made it without provolone and it was delicious but you can add it in if you want the flavor of another cheese.

Mom’s Homemade Cheese Lasagna

Oven: 350 degrees

Bake Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 Eggs
  • 30 oz Ricotta Cheese (2 small tubs)
  • 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
  • 3 Cups Mozzarella Cheese (2 cups for mixture, 1 cup for topping)
  • 2 tbl Basil
  • 2 tbl Parsley
  • 2 Jars of Spaghetti Sauce (I used Barilla® Sauce)
  • 1 Box of Lasagna Noodles (I used Barilla® Lasagne noodles)

Directions:

  • Cook noodles according to directions on box, set aside
  • In large bowl, mix 3 cheeses (just the first 2 cups of the mozzarella), eggs, basil, and parsley together
  • Spray an 11×17 baking dish with non-stick spray
  • Layer ingredients: sauce, then 4 noodles, then 1/3 of cheese mixture and continue to repeat. Note: the top should be noodles covered with sauce
  • Bake covered in pre-heated over for 2 hours 15 minutes at 350
  • Once that time is up uncover it and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese
  • Return to oven uncovered and let back for another 15 to 30 minutes for the cheese on top to melt and brown a little
  • Remove from oven and let stand for at least 15 minutes before serving

I used Barilla sauce and lasagna noodles for this recipe. You can find them at your local Safeway store. They are having a special: $1 off the purchase of ONE (1) box of Barilla® Lasagne and ONE (1) Barilla® Sauce.

Chocolate Candy Cane Cake Pops With PEEPS {Recipe}

I was so excited when Peeps reached out to me to participate in their online advent calendar and asked me to create a recipe using PEEPS from their holiday line. I love that PEEPS have expanded past their status as an Easter treat and was excited to bake with them. PEEPS sent me their Candy Cane flavored PEEPS that were dipped in chocolate. I decided to make cake pops with them and love how they turned out!

Here’s the recipe to make these Chocolate Candy Cane flavored cake pops!

Yield: 30 Cake Pops

Materials needed:

  • 1 box of chocolate cake mix and any ingredients required (water, eggs, oil, etc)
  • 2 bags of candy melts
  • 6 PEEPS
  • container of chocolate frosting
  • lollipop sticks
  • candy canes or sprinkles (optional)
  • Piece of styrofoam

Directions:

  • Prepare cake mix according to box directions and let cool
  • Once cool use your hands to crumble cake into bowl
  • Cut 6 PEEPS into small pieces
  • Add PEEPS pieces and container of frosting to crumbled cake and stir together
  • Roll dough into 1 inch balls
  • Melt about 15 candy melts and dip one end of lollipop sticks in frosting and then push into cake balls
  • Place balls in freezer for 30 minutes to one hour to harden
  • Melt ½ of the candy melts in a bowl and dip cake pops using the stick as a handle.
  • When done with each cake pop stick the opposite end of the stick in the Styrofoam so that candy melt coating can harden. At this point add sprinkles or crushed candy cane if desired.
  • Melt more candy melts as needed.

If you enjoyed this recipe make sure to follow along in December when PEEPS features 24 recipes (including mine) on their Facebook page. To find more PEEPS recipes, crafts and other fun holiday ideas visit www.Facebook.com/PeepsBrand/adventcalendar.

(Disclosure: As stated above, I recieved PEEPS to use in my recipe.)

Apple Betty with Almond Cream {Recipe}

Prep: 15 Min.
Cook: 2 Hours
Makes: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds tart apples, peeled and sliced
  • 10 slices cinnamon-raisin bread, cubed
  • ¾ cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt

Whipped Cream Ingredients:

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

1. Place apples in an ungreased 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine the bread, brown sugar, butter, extract, cinnamon, cardamom and salt; spoon over apples. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until apples are tender.

2. In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add the sugar, lemon peel and extract; beat until soft peaks form. Serve with apple mixture.

Recipe and image reprinted courtesy of Taste of Home and their new cookbook, Taste of Home Recipes Across America

Halloween Spider Bites {Recipe}

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup shortening
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 Tbsp. water
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • 1 Tsp. vanilla
  • 1 package black rope licorice cut into short 1” pieces
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 small tube of green (or color of choice) decorating gel
  • Toothpicks

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, combine shortening, sugar, water, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add eggs into the mixture and blend.
  • Slowly mix in flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder using low-medium speed.
  • Drop tablespoon helpings of mixture onto ungreased cookie sheets and roll each helping into a ball.
  • Bake 9 minutes at 375 degrees. The batch should produce around three dozen cookies.
  • Let cookies cool for about 10 minutes. Then using a toothpick, create four small holes in either side of the cookie.
  • Still using the toothpick, push one end of a piece of the cut licorice into each hole, creating the “legs” of the spider.
  • Once all eight pieces are in place, create eyes or decorate at will using the green decorating gel.
  • Then serve and enjoy!

Recipe idea adapted from “The Braces Cookbook” by Pamela Waterman. Image courtesy of the American Association of Orthodontists.

Goblin Goodies {Recipe}

Ingredients:

  • 1 small box rice cereal
  • 1 small box corn or wheat cereal
  • 1 small box rice puffs cereal
  • 3 cups pretzel sticks
  • 1 stick of margarine
  • 1 bag of milk chocolate chips
  • 1 bag of white chocolate chips
  • 2 cups of milk

Directions:

  • Line a cookie sheet or large baking pan with tin foil
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, putting margarine in the pan and the pan in the oven as the oven preheats so that the margarine will melt.
  • Remove pan from oven and add pretzels, rice puffs and corn and rice cereal – slowly stirring to coat with melted margarine or butter.
  • Once all the cereal and pretzels are in the pan, place pan uncovered in oven and bake for 20 minutes.
  • Once the snack mix is finished baking, remove from oven and allow to cool. While cooling, in a small sauce pan, over low heat, melt milk chocolate chips with one cup of milk, adding milk slowly until melted. Repeat for white chocolate chips.
  • With a spoon, drizzle melted milk and white chocolate over the snack mix and allow to firm. Once chocolate is more firm, toss and serve. Store cool in airtight container for future snacks.

Recipe and image courtesy of the American Association of Orthodontists.

Sinfully Sweet Cinnamon Apples {Recipe}

Cinnamon apples are the perfect Fall treat. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 6 Fuji or Granny Smith apples
  • ¼ cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
  • 3 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 6 cinnamon sticks

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Core apples to ½ inch of the bottom of the apples.  It helps if you have an apple corer.  If not, simply use a paring knife.  Cut out the stem area first, then the core.  Use a spoon to dig out the seeds.  Make the holes about ¾-inch wide.
  • Mix apple juice concentrate and vanilla.  Pour into cored center of each apple.
  • Place a cinnamon stick in the center of each apple.  Place apples on nonstick baking sheet and bake in oven for 20 minutes.

(Recipe and image courtesy of Pritikin Longevity Center.)

Sweet Potato Clam Chowder with Bacon {Recipe}

Ingredients

  • 2 dozen Medium clams such as Manila OR 3 dozen Small clams such as Littlenecks
  • 1½ cups water
  • 1 12-ounce bottle of clam juice, as needed
  • 1 cup Diced raw applewood smoked bacon: about 4 to 5 slices
  • 1 tablespoon of Cat Cora’s Kitchen by Gaea’s Kalamata D.O.P. Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Medium yellow onion, chopped (1 ½ cups)
  • 2 stalks Celery, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3½ cups Raw sweet potato, peeled and diced into 2-inch chunks (about ¼ pound)
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 cups Half and Half

Instructions

Scrub the clams well. Spread them in an even layer in a large 12-inch frying pan with a lid. Add the water, cover, and bring to the water to a boil. Set a heatproof bowl nearby to hold the cooked clams. Cook the clams until the shells open, about 2 to 5 minutes. As a clam opens, remove it from the pan with tongs and plop it into the waiting bowl. Give the clams 5 minutes more to cook, transferring clams as they open. After 5 minutes, turn off the heat and discard any clams that remain closed. Pour the pan liquid through a fine-meshed sieve or cheesecloth to strain out any grit. You should have about 1 1/2 cups clam cooking liquid. If there is less than that, add enough bottled clam juice to equal this amount. Set the liquid aside. Transfer the clams, still in their shells, back to the pan and cover it with a lid to keep the clams from drying out while you finish the chowder.

Cook the bacon in a 3-quart soup pot until crisp and brown. When the bacon is done transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pot. Discard the rest of the bacon fat. Using the same soup pot in which you cooked the bacon, pour back in the 1 tablespoon of bacon fat, add the olive oil and heat over a medium flame for a few seconds; add the onion and celery. Cook vegetables until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, clam cooking liquid, the bay leaf, salt and pepper. (Save the cooked bacon to sprinkle over the chowder just before serving.) Cover the pan and simmer just until the sweet potatoes are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

While the chowder simmers, remove the clams from their shell. You can use a paring knife or even a grapefruit spoon to scrape them out of their shells and into a bowl. Discard the shells. When the sweet potatoes are perfectly done, add the clams to the chowder. Pour in the Half and Half, heat gently until the chowder is piping hot, and ladle it into individual serving bowls. Sprinkle bacon around the edge of the chowder and serve.

Recipe and image courtesy of Celebrity Chef Cat Cora.

 

10 Easy Breakfasts Kids Will Love

Cold cereal again? If you are in a breakfast rut like we are, check out these 10 easy breakfast ideas courtesy of Target that your kids will eat up (literally!)

Omelette on the go

  • Omelette on the go. Fried, scrambled and boiled may be more traditional egg preparations, but did you know you can bake eggs? Whisk together your favorite omelette mixture (eggs, tomato and cheese is ours), pour into silicon muffin cups, bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. They’ll keep for a few days in the fridge.
  • Cream of wheat with rainbow sprinkles. Your kids will find a way to sneak sugar into their breakfast cereal. Why not let them have fun while they’re at it?
  • Breakfast burrito with turkey sausage.  A whole wheat wrap stuffed with scrambled eggs with turkey sausage, low-fat cheese and a little mild salsa is a crowd-pleasing breakfast that also happens to travel well.
  • Apples with brown sugar yogurt. Dip sliced apples into a mixture of Greek yogurt and brown sugar (about a tablespoon per cup of yogurt). Let’s call it breakfast fondue!
  • English muffin pizza: Pizza for breakfast? Yes, please! Top an English muffin with leftover spaghetti sauce and mozzarella (or any cheese, for that matter). Bake in the toaster oven until the cheese has melted.

Breakfast banana split

  • Breakfast banana split. Just like it sounds—swap Greek yogurt for ice cream and honey for chocolate syrup. Top with crunchy granola or fresh berries.
  • Griddled corn muffin. Corn bread is one of life’s simple pleasures. It should be served accordingly—toasted with butter and honey.
  • The Elvis (for beginners). Elvis loved his peanut butter-bacon-banana sandwiches and for a good reason—they’re delicious. For a healthier twist, cut back on the bacon, substitute almond butter and use whole wheat bread. Bonus points for grilling on a panini pan.
  • Eggy pita pocket. The self-contained breakfast sandwich: Stuff scrambled eggs and any additional toppings (grated cheese, bell pepper, diced tomato) into a toasted pita pocket.
  • Strawberry coconut Bircher muesli. Mix plain yogurt, rolled oats, coconut flakes and strawberries with any nuts or sweeteners (like maple syrup or honey) your kids like. Pour into small single-serving jars or plastic containers, and leave overnight in the fridge.
Want even more ideas? Check out the rest of them on Target’s blog here.
(Disclosure: Images and ideas courtesy of Target.)

 

Pumpkin Mousse {Recipe}

INGREDIENTS

  • 15 oz. Pumpkin Puree ( Libby’s)
  • 1 oz. sugar free, fat free vanilla
  • 1 Cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1 teaspoon of ginger
  • 2 cups of heavy cream ( for whipped  cream)
  • 2 teaspoons confectionary sugar (for whipped cream)
  • 1 Cup crumbled ginger cookie
  • Chocolate chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  • In a mixer, whip the heavy cream with the confectionary sugar. Start at a slow speed then increase speed to make the mix firmer. Do not mix for more than 5-6 minutes. Refrigerate the whip cream for about two hours.
  • In another mixer bowl add all the other ingredients and mix at medium speed for about five minutes.

TO ASSEMBLE THE MOUSSE:

  • Choose a medium high 12 oz. clear glass and pipe in the pumpkin mousse then add the crumbled ginger cookie, then pipe in the whip cream. At this point the glass should be half way full, use the same amount one more time and top with the cookie. Add chocolate chips for garnish if you’d like.

Recipe and image courtesy of Maria Zoitas, catering director at Westside Market NYC and creator of Maria’s Homemade, a line of prepared food sold exclusively at Westside Market NYC.

Pumpkin Pie Dip {Recipe}

Ingredients:

  • 6 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
  • 1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
  • 2 tablespoons of agave nectar
  • 2 tablespoons of packed brown sugar
  • 21/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon of ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon of seasalt
  • Sliced fresh fruit and/or salted whole wheat pretzels

Directions:

  • In a food processor, combine cream cheese and yogurt; blend until smooth. Add pumpkin and remaining ingredients except fruit and pretzels; blend until well mixed.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 days. Serve dip with fresh fruit or pretzels.

Recipe and image courtesy of  HealthBarn USA‘s Founder, Stacey Antine, MS, RD.

Gluten-Free Apple Crisp {Recipe}

Ingredients

  • 6 large tart apples (Pippin or Granny Smith)
  • 1/3 cup sugar, or 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • Generous pinch salt
  • 3 tablespoons cold butter

Topping

  • 1/2 cup sweet white rice flour
  • 1/2 cup millet flour
  • 1/2 cup tapioca starch
  • 1 cup packed golden brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup gluten-free oats
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Directions
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
  • Peel, core and slice the apples into 1/4-inch slices. 
  • Put the apple slices into a large bowl and sprinkle the sugar over the top. 
  • Add the tapioca starch, cinnamon, five-spice, ginger and salt and toss together to evenly coat the apple slices. 
  • Pour into a 9 by 13-inch baking pan, dot the top with pieces of the butter and set aside. 
  • To make the topping, combine the flours, tapioca starch, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, five-spice and ginger in a mixing bowl. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix in the butter until it is uniformly incorporated into the flour mixture. Stir in the oats and pecans.
  • Crumble the oat topping evenly over the apples. 
  • Bake until the topping is golden brown and set and the apples are warm and bubbly, 55 to 60 minutes.

Note: You can prepare everything ahead of time. Refrigerate the apple filling and keep the topping frozen until ready to assemble and bake. Don’t refrigerate the unbaked topping overnight since the millet flour will interact with the butter and taste and smell cheesy when it’s baked.

Recipe and image courtesy of: Kyra Bussanich, two-time winner of The Food Network’s hit show, “Cupcake Wars.” She graduated with honors from Le Cordon Bleu and opened her award-winning bakery, Kyra’s Bake Shop, which features gourmet, gluten-free sweets. She has branched beyond desserts to other gluten-free goods in order to help those with celiac and other autoimmune diseases enjoy quality treats.

Pineapple Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps {Recipe}

This post is sponsored by Yoplait.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Start to Finish: 15 Minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 container (6 oz) Yoplait® Fruitful™ pineapple yogurt (get a coupon here)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
  • 1/4 cup shredded carrot
  • 2 tablespoons sliced green onion (2 medium)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
  • 2 tablespoons chopped celery
  • 6 leaves Bibb lettuce

Directions:

  • 1. In medium bowl, mix yogurt, salt and pepper. Stir in all remaining ingredients except lettuce until combined.
  • 2. Divide chicken mixture evenly among lettuce leaves (about 1/3 cup per leaf). Serve immediately.

Recipe and image are courtesy of Yoplait.