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“Mommy Time in a Mason Jar” Parfait! My New Favorite Indulgence With DOVE® Fruit!

March 4, 2015 / Food, Let's Eat!, Recipes

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are 100% my own. #LoveDoveFruits #CollectiveBias

I’m a mom, a very busy mom. I’d say that I spend most of my time doing everything but worrying about myself. Yep, I fully admit that I’m guilty of not doing much for myself on most days! I sometimes feel like I wear about 100 different hats…all of them invisible, of course! The running around usually starts around 5 am and doesn’t stop until I fall into bed, well after 10 pm! Honestly, I’m OK with this though, or I should say I’ve always been OK with this until now. I feel like it’s just what most moms do, but and I’m ready to put a stop to it!

I can’t say that I’ll stop doing all of what I do, because I know I wont, but I am learning to take a little time for me now! I’m learning the importance of “me time”. It’s just a small window each day. It doesn’t even happen every day, but I’m trying to make it happen for myself on most days. One of my challenges is that I get so wrapped up in what I’m doing, I forget to eat throughout the day. This usually results with me shoving not-so-great food choices into my face because I’ve gone too long without eating, I’m now trying to make a conscious effort to change my eating habits though and incorporate better-for-me snacks into my day.

I NEED to share one of my new snacking favorites with you! Have you tried DOVE® Fruit yet? This delicious combination of real fruit (cherries, blueberries, and cranberries) dipped in silky smooth DOVE® Dark Chocolate, combines the wellness benefits of dark chocolate with fruit.

The first time I found these in the grocery section of Walmart, I ripped open the bag as soon as I got to my car because I was dying to try them! I also ate the entire bag! Do you see why I needed to share with you? Oh my goodness, they are soooo yummy! My daughter loves them too! I now carry around a couple of bags in my purse, just in case I need to grab a quick snack.

I recently started incorporating DOVE® Fruit into one of my snacks at home that I like to call “Mommy Time in a Mason Jar“! I just mix vanilla Greek yogurt with granola because the smooth and crunchy textures mixed together are delicious. Adding some of the DOVE® Fruit, makes it all taste even better! They are great to have pre-made in your fridge so you can just grab one when you get home from work and school!

Look at how simple the recipe is:

Ingredients:

1 32 oz. container Vanilla Greek Yogurt
1 12 oz. bag of your favorite granola (I prefer the kind with almonds in it)
1 bag of DOVE® Fruit (I used blueberry for this recipe)

Preparation instructions:

In a mason jar, spoon a bottom layer of yogurt in the bottom, about an inch thick.
Top layer of yogurt, with a layer of your favorite granola.
Drop a couple of DOVE® Fruit on top of granola layer.
Repeat all 3 steps until your Mason jar is filled to right below the lip.
Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for later.

How delicious does that all look? After I’ve made my “Mommy Time in a Mason Jar Parfait”, I like to take it out on our back patio and enjoy the sunset. Isn’t this a beautiful view? It truly is relaxing…even if it just lasts a couple of minutes before I hear “MOOOOOMMMMMYYYYY!” again!

Walmart carries all 3 varieties of DOVE® Fruit. (cherries, blueberries, and cranberries). As I mentioned before, I found mine on the end of an aisle in the grocery section.

Do you take time for yourself each day? Comment below with something that you do for YOU!

See more great DOVE® Fruit recipe ideas on the DOVE® Fruit social hub. You can also download a coupon to save on your DOVE® purchase, here.

M&M’s® Crispy Are Back! Best Comeback EVER!

February 23, 2015 / Food, Let's Eat!

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

Let’s talk about one of my favorite subjects…M&M’s®! I’m probably one of the biggest fans of these delicious chocolate candies! I love all things M&M’s® and always hurry to try any and all of the new flavors that come out. They are my favorite go-to snack, a movie theater necessity (as a mix-in for my popcorn, of course) and something I love to incorporate into any special occasion and holiday!

It was such exciting news to hear that M&M’s® Crispy were coming back! I have no idea how I missed M&M’s® Crispy the first time when they were around in the 90’s though? Did you try them when they were last available? Watch this adorable M&M’s® “Fans” Commercial sharing the big announcement!

As soon as started seeing the tweets and articles about them and after I watched this, I headed straight over to Walmart to grab my very own stash of M&M’s® Crispy! I may have missed them in the 90s but I was determined not to let that happen again!

I found the bright green “Share Size” bags in the checkout aisles! They’re perfect for sharing with a friend or someone fun in your life! M&M’s® Crispy contain only 180 calories per serving. They are also available in a big bag in the candy/baking aisle. Whatever the case, I stocked up on a bunch of the share-size bags, just in case they ran out. I’m sure once the word gets out to everyone, they’re going to be flying off the shelves!

M&M’s® are something I grew up loving as a child. Now that I’m a mom, there’s an even greater significance behind them. My daughter’s name is “Emily” and early on, we started calling her “M & M” for short. At age 3, she even made a connection between her nickname and the candies and it just sort of stuck. She, too, has grown up loving M&M’s® just as much as I do. Our love for M&M’s® runs deep. I can’t think of a more perfect person to share my new M&M’s® Crispy with! Since we try to set aside some quiet time after school each day to read, I think the next time we do so, I’ll break out one of my share-size bags to share with her while we read.

Of course, with the delicious crunch inside each one, I’m not sure how “quiet” our reading time will actually be, but I’m OK with that! (and I’m sure she will be too).

I also plan on stashing a few bags in my purse to take to my classroom. Sometimes I need a pick-me-up right around 1 o’clock in the afternoon, which happens to be my last hour of teaching each day. It’s going to be a little tricky to eat them during class time without my students hearing the crunch. Oh well, I’ll figure out a way.

Have YOU gotten a chance to try M&M’s® Crispy yet? If not, guess what I’m going to tell you to go do…like right now? You guessed it! (Go grab some of your own!)

See more great M&M’s® Crispy recipe and party ideas on the M&M’s® Crispy social hub where you can also download a coupon to save on your M&M’s® purchase.

Celebrate This Valentine’s Day With M&M’s® Red Velvet and Chocolate Pie Pops!

January 30, 2015 / Celebrations, Food, Holiday Fun, Recipes

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

Valentine’s Day is my absolute favorite holiday of the year! It always seems like everyone is happy and you can feel the love and friendship in the air! I loved it as a little girl, I love it as a 1st grade teacher and I love it as a mom, especially as a “girl mom”. My daughter embraces my need to be “that mom”! You know, the one who always sends something cute for the class on just about every holiday? (OK maybe I don’t on Groundhog Day)

This year, my daughter will be bringing the cutest & yummiest treats to school for her classmates at their Valentine’s celebration. I’m sending M&M’s® Red Velvet and chocolate pie pops! Yep, you read that correctly! M&M’s® Red Velvet exist!

If you’re as excited to try them as I was when I first saw them, then you should make a quick trip out to Walmart today to grab a bag of your own!

The M&M’s® Red Velvet are so delicious in this recipe. These pie pops definitely have a cute factor about them! They are honestly so easy to make! I like that it’s a kid-friendly recipe too because my daughter loves to spend time with me in the kitchen.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:

1 box of store-bought pie crust (they usually come 2 in a box)
1 jar of chocolate spread of your choice
1 bag M&M’s® Red Velvet
1 egg, just the egg white
flour (to spread out on the counter)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
Lightly flour countertop and roll out pie crust. Use a large biscuit cutter to cut out pairs of circles.
Use small heart cookie cutter to cut out one heart for each pop that you’re making.
Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set bottom circle pieces on cookie sheet, leaving ample space between each one.
Gently push a lollipop stick into the center of each pie circle.
Spoon in some of the chocolate spread into the center of each pop. Don’t use too much to avoid it squeezing out.
Place 3 M&M’s® Red Velvet candies on top of the chocolate spread.
Set top circle of dough on top and lightly push edges together with your fingers.
Use the end of a lollipop stick to seal edges of entire pie pop.
Brush each pie pop lightly with egg white. Place hearts on each pop and brush egg white on them as well.
Place into oven and bake for 9-12 minutes, keeping a close eye on them so they don’t burn.
When they’re golden brown, remove them from the oven and allow to cool.

You will most likely be overwhelmed by how amazing they smell to the point where you’ll want to bite right into one as it’s coming out of the oven! Allow them to cool down for at least 5 minutes.

For Valentine’s Day, I’m going to wrap each pie pop in a plastic bag, add some M&M’s® Milk Chocolate candies inside the bag, and tie it up with colorful tulle. The M&M’s® almost look like confetti inside the bag, don’t you think?

I found everything I needed to make this recipe at Walmart, which makes it so easy for a busy mom like me!

Do YOU love Valentine’s Day as much as I do? What’s YOUR favorite way to celebrate friendship and love on Valentine’s Day?

For more M&M’s® Red Velvet inspiration, be sure to visit the Red Velvet Love Recipes page. Join the #RedVelvetLove Pinterest Party taking place at http://www.pinterest.com/SoFabChats/ on Saturday, January 31 at 12:00pm ET for your chance at winning a $1000 Walmart gift card!
See more great M&M’s® Red Velvet recipe and party ideas at myconfectioncorner.com/valentines-day where you can also download a coupon to save on your M&M’s® purchase.

McCafé Is This Mom’s “Happiness in a Cup”!

January 30, 2015 / Food, Let's Eat!, Lifestyle, Motherhood

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

As a busy mom, I look forward to mornings when I can enjoy a little bit of “me time”. It’s the only time of day where my house is calm and quiet and everyone else is asleep. With a nice, warm cup of home-brewed McCafé coffee in hand, I can relax before all of the rushing around begins. I’ve learned the importance of carving out some time for myself each day. It’s what gets me through a very busy daily schedule. Seriously, take a look at my daily routine! If I don’t grab some time for myself in the wee hours of the morning, it’s just never going to happen!

I get excited when my alarm goes off, even if it’s 4:30 a.m.! I set the timer on the coffee maker the night before so I can wake to the smell of freshly brewed McCafé coffee downstairs. I’ve actually learned to love getting up this early because you accomplish a lot more.

McCafé is now available at Walmart. It’s made with 100% Arabica beans and is harvested from the rich soils and mountainous regions of the foremost coffee-growing areas of the world.

McCafé coffee also comes in coffee pods, which can be brewed in your home brewing system. I have both a traditional coffee pot AND a home brewing machine in my kitchen and love the convenience of having flexible brewing options with McCafé.

During one of my recent shopping trips at my local Walmart there was an in-store McCafé demo going on. I got to sample some of the different flavors. I think the Breakfast Blend & the Premium Roast are 2 of my favorites!

Let’s get back to talking about my morning “me time”. I like to enjoy my McCafé with toast or even some freshly baked muffins. You have to treat yourself sometimes and honestly, it makes my day go much smoother. I sometimes even get a few minutes to sit out on my back balcony, in my robe, and drink a cup at sunrise. (or when it’s cloudy like in this picture). It’s very peaceful. I can sometimes even see the beach from my balcony. McCafé is this mom’s “happiness in a cup”!

It was easy to find the McCafé coffee pods on the coffee aisle at Walmart. I found the Premium bags of coffee on the end of an aisle.

Well, I’ve let you take a peek into my morning routine and told you about how great McCafé is at helping make my day run smoothly. Do YOU make time for yourself each day? If so, how? If not, I think you need to start doing so today!

For recipe inspiration, sweepstakes, loyalty programs, coupons and more, check out the Cooking Up Good website. What’s not to love? If you’re looking for a new dinner idea or a chance to win some awesome prizes, be sure to check it out!

Score Big on Game Day with Cheez-It and Chocolate Dipped “Football” Strawberries!

January 26, 2015 / Celebrations, Food, Parties, Recipes

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are 100% my own. #BigGameSnacks #CollectiveBias

The Big Game Day is approaching quickly! It’s almost party time! I’m going to let you in on a little secret here…I don’t really worry about who’s playing in the game or who even wins it! Don’t get me wrong, football is fun to watch and all, but my real priorities on that day usually include:

watching the hilarious commercials
catching up on the latest gossip with my girlfriends who come to our Big Game Day party
enjoying lots of good food at the party

Hey, I know what’s important! I love any excuse to throw a party that involves food and this is one occasion that requires some major snacks! We usually order pizza or cook up some hamburgers at half-time so I like to set out simple types of things on the food table such as veggies, popcorn, chips & dips and some sweets for guests to grab during the game.

When I was out shopping for our Big Game Day party, I picked up a box of Original Cheddar Cheez-It Grooves crackers and a bag of new Cheddar Cheese Cheez-It Crunch’d. As you can tell, we are big Cheez-It lovers in our house.

The Cheez-It Grooves definitely live up to the description on the box: best of Cheez-It and a chip in one!‘. Cheez-It is dedicated to using only 100% real cheese which is baked into every delicious cracker. I’m going to set them out next to some veggies and ranch dip for the party.

They are delicious!

I never knew the cheddar cheese Cheez-It Crunch’d existed! They’re new and just appeared on store shelves last week. Crunch’d is Cheez-It’s first-ever crunchy puff made with 100% real cheese. I was dying to try them immediately so I opened up the bag as soon as I got to the car! I’m not the only one who does that, right? They are so good by themselves! For our party I plan on throwing them into a big bowl along with mini pretzels, buttered popcorn and some chocolate candies. It requires very little time and is a great mix, combining the salty with the sweet in a bowl.

I like to put something into the bowl that guests can use as a scoop and set out cute little cups to scoop the mix into. This eliminates “little hands” in the bowl that everyone is taking from.

I’m a pretty big fan of sweets so I also decided to make these adorable chocolate dipped “football” strawberries for the table. They’re very simple to prepare and Emi even helped me do the white piping. (She did an awesome job!) I’d suggest making a double batch since they probably won’t last very long on the table.

Ingredients:

1 lb strawberries, rinsed and dried
1 bag of brown chocolate candy melts
1 bag of white candy melts
vegetable oil (you won’t need much)

Preparation:

Prepare your work area by putting some parchment paper down on the countertop. This is where the strawberries will be drying after they’re dipped.
Place the brown candy melts into a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds. Take out and stir. (They won’t be very melted yet.) Heat for an additional 30 seconds and stir again. Add a tiny bit of vegetable oil to the bowl and mix in. The oil just helps to make your mixture a little bit smoother. Let the mixture settle for about a minute before starting to dip the strawberries.
Dip each strawberry into the bowl, slowly turning it by its stem. Then use a spoon to cover the strawberry with the chocolate up to a fairly high point, trying to stay even all the way around the strawberry. Remove from the bowl and set onto parchment paper to dry.
After the chocolate has completely dried (I stick mine into the fridge), prepare the white candy melts exactly like you did the chocolate ones. Transfer the white mixture into a piping bag (you can use a plastic sandwich bag) with the tiniest tip and pipe on the white football accents. If you make a mistake, you can quickly scrape off the white melt with a toothpick since it won’t be dry yet. Again, wait until thoroughly dry before serving.

It was really fun for my daughter to get in the kitchen and help me with these! She’s got a pretty stead hand for piping!

I found everything I needed to make my Big Game Snacks at Walmart! Both of the Cheez-It products were on the end of an aisle so I could just grab and toss them into my basket!

I think my snack table is all ready to go for the Big Game with all of the necessities! Can you think of anything I might be missing?

What are YOU most excited for on the day of the Big Game? Do YOU have any special recipes that you serve on that day?

Connect with Cheez-It on Facebook and Twitter too!

Be Ready For the Big Game With SNICKERS® Brownie “Hamburger” Cupcakes!

January 12, 2015 / Food, Recipes

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are 100% my own. #BigGameTreats #CollectiveBias

In anticipation of the Big Game, I’ve been planning the menu for our annual Big Game Day party. Our usual spread always includes chips n’ dip, party meatballs, pizza, hot dogs, and hamburgers. This year I wanted to make some extra yummy treats for the dessert table. We have a few more children that will be coming over this year, so I came up with something I think they’re really going to go nuts over….SNICKERS® Brownie Hamburger Cupcakes! These cupcakes are stuffed with SNICKERS brownie “hamburger patties” and they look just like little hamburgers. There are several steps to making these but they’re also very easy to prepare. My daughter loved helping me make these. They are guaranteed to be the talk of your party!

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this fabulous dessert:

one box of your favorite brownie mix
one box of your favorite yellow cake mix
1 container of white frosting
1/4 cup white sprinkles
1/2 cup coconut flakes, sweetened
red, yellow, and green food coloring
15-20 Fun Size SNICKERS, chopped

Preparation

The first thing you want to do is to make the SNICKERS brownies. I prepare my favorite boxed brownie mix and toss in some chopped up Fun Size Snickers bars into the batter. Before placing the batter into the baking pan, I place parchment paper in there, so I’m able to easily remove the brownies from the pan after they’re done, without breaking them. This just makes for better looking squares when you slice them.

After the brownies come out of the oven, be sure to allow them to cool for at least an hour before cutting. I sliced half of the pan into squares and set them aside. I used the remaining half of the brownies to make the “burgers“. Using a small biscuit cutter, cut circles out of the brownies and set aside.

Next, prepare the cupcakes using the yellow cake mix. It’s important that you use cupcake liners when you bake them, so your cupcakes have ridges on the outside. It’s also important to fill your cupcake liners full enough so the cupcakes bake up high.

After baking the cupcakes, allow them to cool completely. After they’ve sufficiently cooled down, remove each one from the wrapper and slice about 1/4 of the bottom of the cupcake off and throw away. (or eat it) Slice the remaining part of each cupcake in half to make the “hamburger bun” and set aside.

To prepare the “lettuce“, put 1/2 cup of coconut into a bowl and squeeze a few drops of green food coloring into the bowl. Mix together, using a fork, until desired green color is achieved.

To prepare “ketchup“, mix 1/2 container of white frosting into a bowl. Add a few drops of red food coloring and stir together with a spoon until it resembles ketchup. Do the same to prepare “cheese“, mix 1/2 container of white frosting in a bowl, with a few drops of yellow and some red food coloring too and stir together with a spoon until it resembles cheese. For both of these, you may end up adding drops of color until you reach your desired color.

After you have all of your burger ingredients prepared, it’s time for the fun part…the assembling of your hamburger cupcakes. I like to squeeze some ketchup and cheese, using a pastry bag, on top of the burger and then top with a generous amount of lettuce. When you place the top bun on, it’ll squeeze some of that out and make it look like a real burger. Use the white sprinkles to make the sesame seeds on the bun and poke a cute toothpick through the top! I’m garnishing mine with Starburst® to really get the kids hopping around!

I was able to find all of the items I needed for my recipe at Walmart. I found the Fun Size SNICKERS I used in my recipe on the candy aisle, as well as the Starburst®! It’s the perfect place to buy all of your Big Game Day necessities!

How do YOU celebrate on the day of the BIG GAME? Do you have any special recipes that you like to make?

It’s Comfort Food Time With Marie Callender’s Pot Pies & Cornucopia Salad!

December 22, 2014 / Food, Let's Eat!, Recipes

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

I’m always excited when it starts to feel like winter outside! There’s just something about the cooler temperatures that gets me excited to pull out my winter sweaters and fuzzy socks and start cooking up comfort foods!

One of my favorite comfort foods are Marie Callender’s pot pies, specifically the chicken ones, which I actually grew up eating as a kid. They’re made with tender white-meat chicken, carrots, celery, and peas and prepared in a golden, flaky crust made from scratch, that tastes like homemade. Just writing about them makes me want one right now! The pot pies are also available in turkey, beef & a few different kinds of chicken flavors and are sold in a variety of sizes, to fit the needs of your own family. Although they’re available in Family Size, our family prefers the smaller individual ones. I think it has do with us each getting our own full crust!

As a busy mom, who’s always on the go, I appreciate a meal I can make for my family, that not only tastes good but is quick and easy to prepare. With our schedules, it’s sometimes hard to find very much “together time” at home. To prepare a Marie Callender’s pot pie, you just pop it into the oven. (They can be prepared in the microwave, too). While they’re cooking in the oven, I’m then able to spend some quality time in the kitchen with my daughter, making a side dish to complete the meal. My daughter loves to cook and bake so any time that we can carve out time to spend together in the kitchen is a plus. For me, it’s so important to make that connection with family.

One of our favorite side dishes is the “Cornucopia Salad“. This salad combines baby lettuce, green apple, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, feta cheese crumbles, and candied almonds. It’s tossed in a delicious olive oil-based dressing and just goes really well with just about any meal! It’s very simple to throw together too!

Ingredients for salad

6 cups lettuce of your choice, washed. (I sometimes use bagged lettuce to save time.)
1 large Granny Smith apple
1 11 ounce can mandarin oranges
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raw almonds, sliced
1/2 cup Feta cheese crumbles (blue cheese also works with this recipe)
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
3 tablespoons sugar
the juice from 1 lemon

Ingredients for dressing

2 tablespoons sugar
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

Candied Almond Preparation

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and almonds and put over medium heat.
Continue to stir the mixture every couple of minutes until the sugar starts to melt.
Once this happens, continue stirring evenly to sugar coat all of the almonds evenly and then transfer from the pan to some foil, allowing the almonds to cool down and solidify a little bit.

Dressing Preparation

Whisk together salt, pepper, sugar, and olive oil in a small bowl.
Finely chop up parsley and add to the mixture.
Set dressing aside and shake well before tossing onto Cornucopia Salad.

Salad Preparation

Add lettuce to salad bowl.
Cut and core apple and either cut into large apple slices or dice it up. Next, add to salad bowl. If you don’t plan on serving right away, squeeze lemon juice onto apple to prevent browning.
Drain mandarin oranges and add to salad.
Add dried cranberries, feta cheese crumbles, and candied almonds to the bowl and mix everything together.
Set salad aside until you’re ready to toss with dressing and serve.

For me, a Marie Callender’s Chicken Pot Pie served with Cornucopia Salad IS the ultimate comfort meal that my family and I can all sit around the table and enjoy, as we chat about each others’ days. Family time together is the most important time!

This fall, Marie Callender’s launched the Comforts From Home Project, a program dedicated to bringing the heartwarming feelings, flavors, and favorites of home to those who miss it most…. those who protect America’s homes every day: the brave men and women of the U.S. Military. Every time you enter a code from a specially marked package of Marie Callender’s meals or desserts, Marie Callender’s will make a donation to USO2GO, a USO program that brings electronics, sports gear, books, games, and more to troops stationed in remote locations. Look for the code on participating products.

You can find Marie Callender’s pot pies in the frozen meals section of the grocery area in your local Walmart! Visit here to learn more about Marie Callender’s pot pies and here for more great recipes!

What’s YOUR family’s favorite comfort food to enjoy together?