Recipes

If you are looking for a fun St. Patrick’s Day craft or delicious snack to make with your kids, you might like these ideas. To help little leprechauns get in the spirit for classroom parties or family celebrations, Juicy Juice has a selection of green-themed crafts that can be completed in 4 steps or less and recipes, including a better-for-you Green Goodness Smoothie made with Juicy Juice Organic Splashers.

Find these recipes and crafts in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow – or on JuicyJuice.com – for St. Patty’s day inspiration:

Green Goodness Smoothie

Little ones love cool drinks, and this beverage fits that bill. Juicy Juice Green Goodness Smoothie tastes so good they’ll be asking for seconds before their last slurp!

Estimated Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients

2 cups blueberries
2 cups pineapple
1 cup spinach
1 cup ice
2 cups almond milk
2 pouches Juicy Juice™ Splashers™ Tropical Twist

Directions

Gather your ingredients. Add blueberries, pineapples, spinach, ice and almond milk together in a blender. Pour in Juicy Juice Splashers Tropical Twist. Blend until smooth (add more juice for your desired consistency). Pour into a chilled glass and toast to all things delicious and nutritious!

Juicy Shamrock Smoothie

As we know all too well, it’s always a challenge to get the little ones to eat their greens. Juicy Juice has a strategy? Get them to drink their greens! Easier said than done, right? With this Juicy Shamrock Smoothie, I bet that you will hear slurping sounds in no time, not to mention requests for seconds!

Try it using Apple Juicy Juice™ 100% juice! 

2 Fresh Kiwis
1 Peeled Orange
1 Cup Green Grapes
1 Cup Baby Spinach
1 Cup Apple Juicy Juice 100% Juice

1. Slice the kiwi in half and scoop out the fruit from the skin
2. Add kiwi, peeled orange, grapes and baby spinach to blender
3. Pour in Apple Juicy Juice 100% juice
4. Blend until smooth (feel free to add more juice if the blend is too thick)
5. Pour into a chilled glass and enjoy!

Leprechaun Spotting Binoculars

Spotting leprechauns is a demanding job, and it takes the right equipment to get the best results. Juicy Juice developed these precise leprechaun binoculars made of materials you have right at home. We hope this craft helps you find leprechauns, and we wish you the best of luck!

Materials
2 Juicy Juice boxes or toilet paper rolls
Green construction paper
Pipe Cleaners (we chose green)
String (we chose orange)
Tape
Glitter Glue or paint

Step One
Gather your materials.

Take your empty Juicy Juice boxes and unfold the tabs on the bottom and top. Then, shape the Juicy Juice box into a cylinder. You may need to cut any tabs that poke out. After that, measure the length of construction paper you will need to cover the tubes. Next, cut the length of construction paper you will need, making sure to leave some paper to tuck into the ends of the tubes. Tape the ends down inside the tubes and tape down the long edges.

Next, decorate your tube with glitter glue or paint. You’re going on a magical quest, so have a lot of fun with your designs. Next, get some pipe cleaners and cut them to the circumference of the tube’s ends. Shape the pipe cleaners to the ends of the tubes and tape them into place, making sure to cover the ends of the wires.

Once you’ve finished decorating the tubes, tape them together side by side. So your binoculars don’t get too far from you, we suggest creating a neck strap with a piece of string. We measured the length we needed to comfortably fit around our necks, and then we punched holes in the binoculars and tied the string to keep it secure. Once you have completed this step, you are done! Go out there and find some leprechauns.

Lucky Leprechaun Juice Box

Trying to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? This leprechaun Juicy Juice box craft is pure gold! This craft will be a great treat at any party!

Materials
Construction paper (black, green and yellow)
Scissors
Juicy Juice box

Step 1

Gather your materials.

Step 2

With your green construction paper, measure how much paper you need to cover the face of your juice box. Then, cut the construction paper along those measurements. Tape the construction paper on.

Step 3

Next, take your black paper and cut it into a belt shape.

Step 4

After cutting your belt, cut your buckle out of your yellow construction paper. Then, cut another square from the inside of your square.

Step 5

Once you’ve cut both the belt and buckle, glue the buckle on top of the belt. Finally, glue your belt onto the front of the juice box. Enjoy your leprechaun Juicy Juice and have a happy St Patrick’s Day! Please share your crafts with Juicy Juice  on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Lucky Leprechaun Craft

St Patrick’s Day can be a fun holiday for you and your little ones. Juicy Juice has put together an interactive craft that will have kids jumping for joy, clicking their heels and smiling for the camera. Take photos of your little ones dressed up as festive Lucky Leprechauns and share them with Juicy Juice on Facebook!

Step 1: Gather your materials. You will need colored construction paper, a washable glue stick, a pen or washable marker, tape and wooden craft sticks. You can also replace the wooden craft sticks with popsicle sticks or wooden drink stirrers.

Step 2: Begin by sketching the basic shapes of your Lucky Leprechaun kit. Your shapes do not need to be perfect and feel free to use whichever colors you wish. Who ever said that Leprechauns only have orange beards? Cut out your shapes after sketching and place the shapes that go together nearby each other. Glue the gold coins to the back of the black pot, the rainbow arches to the clouds and the buckle and band to the green top hat.

Step 3: Once you have glued all the right pieces together. It’s now time to attach the stick so that the little ones can hold their new creations. Lay a wooden stick on the back of each creation and tape it well at the top and at the bottom. You can add a third piece of tape for extra sturdiness.

Now the fun really begins! Grab different combinations of the props you just made and have a Lucky Leprechaun photo shoot! Encourage silliness and share your little Lucky Leprechauns with Juicy Juice on Facebook. They can’t wait to see!

I received product samples to facilitate my post.

You all know how much I love my Mealthy Pot, and I have something super exciting to share. Mealthy has done it again! They created another kitchen appliance that has made it easier for me to prep and cook my favorite recipes. The Mealthy HandBlend is an immersion blender that comes with useful accessories to help you blend, chop and whisk  your way to create culinary masterpieces.

The Mealthy HandBlend comes with a whisk attachment, blending attachment, chopper bowl, smoothie cup and a recipe booklet. Use the chopper bowl to chop onions, garlic, ginger, nuts, greens, herbs and so much more. Blend up soups right in the pot, make your favorite fruit smoothies, mix up gourmet coffee drinks better than a barista and it even has a Turbo mode to make sure you have the power to get the smoothest blends.

I have made my favorite chai lattes with the Handblend and it will be working overtime this week helping me cook and bake for Christmas. One thing I just have to show you is how quick it makes whipped cream, not just any whipped cream, my family’s favorite homemade chocolate whipped cream can be made in about 20 seconds.

This chocolate whipped cream is so light and fluffy with a delicious decadent chocolate flavor that you can eat alone as a dessert or use it to top hot chocolate, cakes, use in parfaits and trifle and so much more. It literally tastes like the airiest chocolate mouse you have ever had.

Watch this video below and I will unbox the Mealthy and then make up a batch of this delicious chocolate whipped cream before your eyes:

Did you see how easy it was to make that delicious chocolate whipped cream? You have to try it, you will thank me! We added the Mealthy HandBlend to our Holiday Gift Guide at Mommy Ramblings.

There are loads of recipes and videos on the Mealthy Mobile App for iOS and Android. Smoothie Cup and Chopper Bowl are BPA free and you can trust Mealthy to rigorously test their products for safety, giving you peace of mind. 

Giveaway:

Mealthy is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win their own Mealthy HandBlend! Thank you to Mealthy for the review HandBlend and for sponsoring this great giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! Open to US residents.

Mealthy HandBlend Immersion Blender Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Enter through the Rafflecopter widget below for your chance to win. Good Luck!!!

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Oh, as much as I don’t want to acknowledge it, the weather is turning, and a nice homestyle pot roast with vegetables is so nice to have for dinner. However, if you are craving that melt-in-your mouth flavor, you might think you are out of luck if you did not start slow cooking early in the day. Well, procrastinators, busy people and just about everyone can rejoice. With the Mealthy Multipot, you can have tender, delicious pot roast in no time at all.

You might remember my unboxing video of the Mealthy Multipot 9-in-1 Programmable Electric Pressure Cooker, or my delicious beef chili recipe made using the pressure cooker. Now, I want to show you how you can make a delicious, tender pot roast with root vegetables in the Mealthy Multipot. Check out my video recipe tutorial below that will take you step-by-step through the process.

If you want to learn more about the Mealthy Multipot or get your own, you can click HERE. I have even more exciting news, you can enter a giveaway below to win a #MealthyMoms Cooking Kit. 

Giveaway:

Mealthy is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win a #MealthyMoms Cooking Kit! Thank you to Mealthy  for sponsoring this recipe post and amazing giveaway. Open to US residents.

#MealthyMoms Cooking Kit Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!

Each household is only eligible to win via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. The prize will be sent via FedEx or USPS. No P.O. Boxes please.

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Vietnamese cuisine is well-known for its utilization of fresh ingredients, an emphasis on meat and vegetables, as well as its flavorful use of seasonings. You will often find herbs and seasonings such as lemongrass, cinnamon, ginger, and bay leaves in Vietnamese dishes.

For all of these reasons, Thit Bo Kho or Vietnamese Beef Stew is a perfect example of Vietnamese cuisine. Tender beef braised in cinnamon and stewed in a mix of vegetables and seasonings until it is ready to be served with a crisp toasted baguette.

The total meal prep time is roughly 30 minutes. Beyond prep, you need to account for 4 to 24 hours of marinating time, and 1.5 hours for stewing.

Our recommendation is to prep the meat mixture for marinatimg the night before you plan to cook the stew. Then let the mixture sit overnight in your refrigerator. This makes this recipe a great meal for families looking for a quick prepared fix during the week.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 pieces of ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 whole Burma Spice Star Anise
• 2 sticks of Burma Spice’s Ceylon Cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon of crushed lemongrass paste
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 4 cups of organic beef broth (used as needed)
• 2 Burma Spice Mediterranean Bay Leaves
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 carrots, sliced ½-inch-thick
• Chopped green onions
• Cilantro
• Toasted French baguette

The stars of the show

As with all Vietnamese cooking, the key to the flavors of the meal are the spices. Luckily for you, Burma Spice just happens to have the best trio to make your THIT BO KHO a smashing success.

Directions

Step 1

Add cut beef cubes, onions, ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, sugar, cinnamon, and star anise into a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly, coating the beef thoroughly with the oyster sauce.

Step 2

Place the mixture in a large sealable plastic bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours. As previously noted, Steps 1 and 2 are perfect for meal prep the night before you plan to serve the dish.

Step 3

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven. Toast the Burma Spice Star Anise and Burma Spice Ceylon Cinnamon sticks for about 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn these ingredients. Simply brown until that amazingly fragrant smell hits you, and take off the heat. You will add these items back into the mixture once you are ready to simmer the stew.

Step 4

Brown the marinated beef mixture in batches.  As you brown it mix in some of your crushed lemongrass paste with each batch. If you put the entire mixture into the dutch oven at one time the amount of liquid produced will keep your meat from browning. You likely want to divide your mixture into 4 batches. Put each batch into a large bowl and move to brown the next.

Step 5

Stir in tomato paste to coat your beef mixture thoroughly.

Step 6

Add beef broth to your mixture. You just want to cover your beef, so add the broth slowly. Add your bay leaves, soy sauce, toasted ceylon cinnamon sticks, and star anise into the stew.

Step 7

Bring the stew to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 and 1/2 hours or until beef is tender.

Step 8

Add your cut carrots during the last 15 minutes of cooking time. Simply cook until the carrots are tender.

Step 9

Top with green onions and cilantro. Toast your baguette and serve! This recipe is a great meal for any day. It is a tender, flavorful dish that will have your family asking for more.

This is a collaborative guest recipe post.

I cannot get over how foolproof this method of making a Rose Swirl Cake is. Do not be intimidated, because I think anyone can do this. This was my second time, and my first came out amazing too. For the cake, I used a moist yellow cake mix, then I made my chocolate buttercream frosting to use between the layers and crumb coat the whole cake.

I mixed up 1.5 batches of my vanilla buttercream frosting and added some pink gel coloring. Next, I filled a disposable piping bag fitted with an open star tip with the frosting. When you make the roses you start on the side of the cake. The height of the cake will determine how many rows of roses you will need. I made a traditional layer cake and I only needed to make 1 row of large roses on the side.

When you form the roses, you start in the center as if you are making a lowercase e. Go around in a circle surrounding the center until your rose is the desired size. Pick up your icing tip and start the next rose next to the first. Continue all the way around. Then start on the top of the cake. I piped a border around the bottom as well.

If you want to really enhance the cake, you can add pearl decor accents to the roses. The mixture of the yellow cake with the decadent chocolate buttercream and topped with the vanilla has become my family’s new favorite.

Check out my video tutorial for the specifics and to see how I make my buttercream frosting.

Let me know what you think and if you try this. If you are looking for a no bake cake recipe, check out my Carvel Style Ice Cream Cake, it is so good!

When I was growing up, birthdays were always celebrated with ice cream cakes. Most of the time they came from Carvel but sometimes, my parents picked one up  at Dairy Queen. Our Dairy Queen used real cake in their ice cream cakes. I did not care for them as much as the Carvel cakes with the chocolate crunchy layer. I did like the fudge that was in the Dairy Queen cakes though.

With my own family, ice cream cakes are still highly requested for birthday cakes. I love to bake and make many different kinds of cakes, but had never attempted an ice cream cake. That changed a couple of weeks ago when I made my first ice cream cake. I choose to make one in the Carvel style, but enhanced the chocolate crunchy layer with a layer of fudge. 

I was surprised at how well the cake came out. I did have one issue, but it was easily solved.  I needed to stabilize my whipping cream, so that it could be piped onto the cake. It is very easy to do and I choose to do it by adding 2 teaspoons of Wilton Clear Piping Gel that I had on hand. It turned out fabulous. The next time I make it, I am going to use the stabilized whipped cream on the entire cake. There are also recipes for stabilized whipped cream using gelatin.

One of the reasons I like making my own ice cream cakes is because, I can customize them to our tastes using different flavors and non-GMO ice cream.  I am thinking a caramel layer may be a nice option as well. Even using a high quality ice cream, the cake we made cost much less than buying a  Carvel cake in the store. The prices of those cakes has increased dramatically over the years.

Making your own ice cream cake at home is not hard, but it does take time. You could make it in one day if you start early, but you are better off making it over 2 days. To start, freeze a 9″ springform pan.  There are some different ways you can use the pan. This first time, I used it with the bottom attached, but for my next cake I plan to use a 12″ lace doily cake circle. You can put the cake circle on a cookie sheet with the ring on top.

The trick is to not let your ice cream soften too much if you use this method. It works best if you keep the ice cream as firm as possible while still being spreadable. I have also seen people who make it directly on a silicone lined baking sheep with the ring.  I will update on how the cake circle method goes, and if I find it better than leaving the bottom attached.

I made a video tutorial of the process you can view below:

I picked up 2 containers of Breyer’s Non-GMO ice cream in chocolate and natural vanilla. I used chocolate on the bottom. After spreading it out in the pan, I let it freeze until firm.

Then I opened a package of regular OREO cookies and removed the cream from about 2 rows of cookies. I took the chocolate cookies and placed them in a zippered plastic bag and then crushed them coarsely with my rolling-pin.

I bought Hershey’s hot fudge topping and spread that on the frozen chocolate ice cream layer.

Then, I added the crumbled chocolate OREO cookies on top. I put the cake back in the freezer to freeze a bit while the vanilla ice cream was on the counter softening up. When the ice cream reached a spreadable consistency, I spread it out on the cake. It looked like there was not enough room to add all the vanilla ice cream.  I was surprised that I was able to add it all besides a tiny bit, I promised to save for my youngest son. With the vanilla ice cream spread evenly, I put the cake back in the freezer to set.

For the outer layer, I whipped up a quart of heavy whipping cream  with 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract and 1/2 cup of confectioner’s sugar. As I said above, I would use the stabilized whipping cream on the entire cake next time. To make that version, you whip the cream, vanilla and sugar until soft peaks form, and then add in 2 teaspoons of Wilton clear piping gel, and beat until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to overbeat your cream.

It was not difficult to remove the ring from the cake. I used a hot cloth, and loosened the cake with a butter knife and the ring popped off.

I added the cream to the cake and sprinkled the top with rainbow-colored sprinkles. Then, back in the freezer for the cream to harden.

The last step was applying the stabilized whipping cream to the top and bottom using a open star tip and a disposable piping bag. 

With the piping of the cream finished, I put the cake back in the freezer until we were ready to celebrate. Everyone loved the ice cream cake and raved about how good the fudge and chocolate crumbled cookie layer was. I will definitely be making our own ice cream cakes from now on.

Let me know what you think, and if you have made an ice cream cake in the comments. I would also like to know if you try this recipe, and how it turns out for you.

I have shown you before how to make easy marshmallow fondant, but this time I created a video tutorial as well. I am a very visual person and love being able to watch video tutorials. They help me immensely, so I decided to try to do as many as I can to help others.

Marshmallow fondant is very inexpensive to make and taste so much better than the premade fondant you can buy in the store. To make this marshmallow fondant, you will need:

You can watch the video tutorial below:

The thing I like about this fondant is that when you use your stand mixer, you can add enough powdered sugar so that it is fairly easy to knead right out of the bowl. It comes together into a workable fondant very quickly.

It is also very easy to color this fondant with gel food coloring. I have another video that shows how easy you can color this marshmallow fondant.  Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel so that you will know when it is live.

Let me know if you try this recipe, and how it worked out for you.

If you are looking for a tender, cake-like cookie that is not too sweet, but has a delightful lemon flavor that makes it perfect to pair with coffee or tea, this Italian Ricotta Cookie recipe will be one you want to try. These cookies are always a hit at our house. I even made 2 batches during Christmas in order to have some for my daughter to take back with her.

They are such a festive looking cookie to bake during Christmas and New Year’s, but you can make them any time of year. If you want, you can tint the icing with food coloring.  Some people like to tint it red or green for Christmas. You could tint it pink or blue for baby showers or gender reveal parties as well. I prefer white and just change the colors of the nonpareils or sugar sprinkles I use if I want to make them a bit different.

It is very important to use whole milk ricotta when baking these cookies, part skim does not taste the same. Also, be sure to cool the cookies on cooling racks before icing them. Never frost a hot or warm cookie. The recipe says to chill the dough, but if you are pressed for time, I have made them without chilling the dough and they came out fine.

Print

Yum

Italian Ricotta Cookies

Ingredients

• Ingredients For Dough
• I cup of softened butter
• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 ¾ cups (15 oz) of whole milk ricotta cheese
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2-1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 4 cups of flour
• 2 tsp of baking soda
• 3/4 tsp of sea salt
• Ingredients For Icing
• 1 tbs of melted butter
• 1-1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups of confectioners’ sugar
• Juice of one lemon
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk (use as needed to think icing to correct consistency)

Instructions

1. Cream the 2 sticks of butter with sugar until fluffy with electric mixer. Add ricotta, lemon zest, vanilla extract and mix well. Add in eggs, one at a time. Scrape sides of bowl and then begin to slowly mix in flour, one cup at a time. Add baking soda and salt and mix until blended. If you want you can chill dough for several hours or overnight. You can also bake immediately.
2. Scoop with a cookie scoop and place about 2" apart onto a non-stick baking sheet liner or parchment paper. Bake cookies at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom. Remove cookies and let cool on wire rack.
3. To make icing, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and whisk into the confectioners sugar with lemon juice, add enough milk to make a spreadable icing. Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread icing onto top of cookies and sprinkle with sprinkles, nonpareils, decorative sugar or other decors. Let cookies set until icing is hard.

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https://www.mommyramblings.org/2017/12/29/italian-ricotta-cookies-full-recipe-and-video-tutorial/

Recipe from Mommy Ramblings -http://www.MommyRamblings.org

Watch my complete baking tutorial video for these cookies below.

I have been making these mini cheesecakes for my family for over 20 years. If I didn’t make them, my kids would be crushed, because it is one of my traditional dessert recipes that I bake for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day, Easter and other special occasions.

They are very easy to make, and they are such a hit because you can top them several different ways which makes them even more appealing. If you are looking for a mini cheesecake recipe that is easy and delicious, you found it! This tried and true recipe is posted for you below.

This recipe is supposed to make 18 mini cheesecakes, but there is always enough filling for a few more, so I add the crumb mixture to 3 or 4 additional, lined muffin cups. I hope you give this recipe a try,  I think you will really like them.

Mini Cheesecakes

Print

Yum

Mini Cheesecakes

Ingredients

• • 1-1/2 Cups of Graham Cracker Crumbs
• • 5 Tbsp. Melted Butter
• • 3 Softened 8 Ounce Packages of Softened PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese
• • 3/4 Cup of Sugar
• • 2 Tsp. of Pure Vanilla Extract
• • Zest of 1 Fresh Lemon
• • Fresh Lemon Juice (I use the juice from ½ of the lemon)
• • 3 Large Eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter; press evenly onto bottoms of 18 lined muffin cups. I always have enough mixture for more than 18 cheesecakes so I put the mixture into at least 21 lined muffin cups. Put these into the oven for 5 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
3. Raise oven temperature to 350°F.
4. Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Fill your muffin cups about 3/4 of the way with this mixture.
5. Bake 20 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 3 hours.
6. Before Serving top each cheesecake with about a tablespoon of the pie topping. You could also top with whipped cream and fresh berries, fruit preserves or jam.

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https://www.mommyramblings.org/2017/12/27/mini-cheesecake-recipe/

Recipe from Mommy Ramblings -http://www.MommyRamblings.org

Let me know what you think if you try this recipe.

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is a staple in our home. As an Italian-American, I cannot imagine not having this cheese in the fridge.  Nor would I dream of eating pasta and may other dishes without it. That is why I was thrilled to be asked to be a blogger ambassador for Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

If you truly want rich flavor, don’t settle for pre-grated parmesan cheese. There is nothing like the intense flavor you get from freshly grating a wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano right into and on top of your favorite recipes and dishes.  Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is made by a collective of farmers and producers in Italy. If you see the pin-dots on the rind, you know you have the real deal!

This cheese is great on way more than pasta, grate it on of your salad,  it is delicious in soups, I love it on veggies and a real favorite is using it to make oven baked potato wedges. Even the rind can be used to flavor a delicious homemade broth. If you want to see more ways to use this great cheese, click HERE.

If you are lactose intolerant, you will be glad to learn that due to the long aging process, Parmigiano Reggiano is naturally lactose-free. It is easily digestible and a great source of both protein and calcium. It is a healthy cheese for your whole family. One of my favorite comfort foods is pasta and a simple tomato sauce with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano on top.  It is easy to make, and so delicious.

Recently, after a long day running around,  I was looking forward to getting home and making some cheese tortellini with a tomato basil sauce and lots of grated Parmigiano Reggiano. I can tell you, sitting down with that delicious meal, the stress of the day just melted away and I was in heaven. What can I say,  we Italians are passionate about our food.

Yesterday, I made some super greens because they are so rich in iron. I sautéed them in garlic and olive oil and seasoned with pepper. When I plated them, I topped them with fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano! So healthy and delicious!

More About Parmigiano Reggiano:

Did you know that just three ingredients—milk, salt and rennet—and eight centuries of cheese making experience go into every wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano? From the local grasses and forage fed to the cows, to the milk they produce and then the cheese that is produced by nearly 400 cheese makers, Parmigiano Reggiano is a true reflection of its place of origin and the art of generations and generations of cheese artisans. Parmigiano Reggiano is produced exclusively in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and parts of the provinces of Mantua and Bologna, on the plains, hills and mountains enclosed between the rivers Po and Reno.

Enter to Win:

Would you like  a chance to win a Holiday Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Feast? I knew you would! All you need to do is click HERE to enter. Good Luck!

We love our ice cream in this house and more than that, we love our ice cream sundaes! We make fresh whipped cream, top gourmet ice cream with real caramel sauce and decadent hot fudge. Then we pile on the freshly whipped cream, add chopped nuts and of course a cherry on top. Some don’t give much thought to that cherry on top but we do. We recently heard about Dell’s Maraschino Cherries and had to try them.

Dell’s Maraschino Cherries are crunchy, tasty and sweet unlike the other brands we have tried that were limp, tasteless and not even appetizing to look at.

Located in Brooklyn, New York, Dell’s Maraschino Cherries come with or without stems and are the perfect “cherries” for your cocktails, soft drinks, ice cream or desserts. Dell’s Maraschino Cherries has a complete line of the best quality, best tasting, medium, large or jumbo sized maraschino cherries for consumers, retailers, schools, colleges, restaurants, hotels, hospitals and airlines. When you choose Dell’s Maraschino Cherries, you can be rest assured you’re choosing the best!

Check out the delicious Maraschino Cherry recipes on their website. Let me know how you top your favorite sundae and if you ever tried Dell’s Maraschino Cherries.

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

What was your family’s favorite movie from last summer?  If you are like us, it was  Minions © 2015 Universal Studios-all rights reserved . If you loved the movie like we did, then it’s time to celebrate, because Minions is coming to Blu-ray/DVD at Target on Tuesday, December 8th! We are super excited for this release and we are really ready to celebrate minion style.

If you want to celebrate with a great family movie night, Target is a perfect one-stop-shop for every thing you need to have an award-winning night! If you can’t wait, you can pre-order Minions online at Target and if you do, you will get a $5 Target gift card.  The Minions Metalpak Blu-ray/DVD-Deluxe is only available at Target and has 40 minutes of exclusive content! Pre-ordering is easy, just order online and pick it up at the store!

You really get a great deal when you order the Target exclusive Minions Metalpak Blu-ray/DVD because you get bonus content not available anywhere else. You get a minions Party Planner that will help you create some fun party flair inspired by the minion movie. Have the perfect party with mask invitations, balloons, banners, cup sleeves and goody bags. Every party has to have yummy treats and recipes for frozen bananas, munch, cupcakes, cookies and cake pops are included. On to fun and games with a Pinata and Pin the Goggles. Finally get creative with balloons and bracelet arts and crafts!

We wanted to make something really special to show how excited we are for the Minions movie release. We decided to make a minions cake. In doing so we made our own marshmallow fondant for the first time. I was a little nervous before we started but found it was very easy and taste so much better than store-bought fondant. I was in Target recently and picked up their Market Pantry Powdered Sugar to use in our marshmallow fondant recipe.

My husband was a huge help and we had a great time doing this together. In case you want to try it, just follow the step by step tutorial below.

The ingredients you need to make the fondant are one 16 ounce package of mini-marshmallows, 2 Tbsp. of water, 2 pounds of confectioner’s sugar and some vegetable shortening for your hands and work surface. Our counters are quartz and they are excellent for rolling and kneading directly on. Find out if your surfaces are suitable or use a board.

Place the marshmallows in a microwave safe bowl and put the 2 Tbsp. of water over them. Toss a little bit and put in the microwave for 30 seconds, remove and stir. You will see little change after 30 seconds but it is important to work in 30 second increments.

You will keep repeating the process of microwaving and then stirring the marshmallows until they are all melted with no lumps.

Next you will add in your confectioner’s sugar a little bit at a time. When you have a consistency that is hard to stir in the bowl you will turn it out onto your work surface you have coated with vegetable shortening. You will also need to coat your hands.

Next you will knead the fondant and get it blended together with the sugar, you will need to add more sugar until you can stretch it for about 2 inches before it breaks.

After you have kneaded it to the right consistency you need to wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator at least 12 hours.

In the meantime, I used a yellow cake mix to make two 9″ round cake layers.

Next, we need to make the buttercream chocolate frosting. So you will need 2 sticks of butter, I let my soften at room temperature. You will also need 4 cups of confectioner’s sugar, 3/4 cup of good cocoa powder, 2 tsp. of pure vanilla extract, and 2 tbsp. of milk. You mix all of the frosting ingredients except the milk in a mixer and add the milk a little bit at a time to get to the desired consistency.

When the layers have cooled, you are going to frost the cake as you would for a regular layer cake.  Level the layers so your cake is as even as possible. Keep the frosting as smooth as you can. You can store the cake in the refrigerator to allow it to crust.

When your fondant has been chilled enough, take it out and plan your colors. I needed a little white, a little blue, a little gray, a little black and a lot of yellow. So I cut small pieces and left the largest piece for the yellow. I have learned that the best kinds of colors that mix easily and completely are gel colors.

We happened to have a minions cutter that was made for sandwiches that worked well for the eyes and goggles. If you do not have something like this you can use round cookie cutters and improvise.  We cut out the white eyes first.

Then we did the gray goggles. You color the fondant by adding a little bit of gel color and folding the fondant on top of the gel and kneading it until well blended. The gel color works best and I saw that first hand because we used it for every thing but the blue. The blue was a lot harder to color and did not blend as well using traditional liquid food coloring.

We made black and I shaped some hair, my husband shaped the eyeballs and I did the mouth. Then on to the yellow. My husband was a real help in all this and did most of the fondant work while I took the pictures. To get the right amount of fondant to cover the cake, you need to measure across your cake and then the height of each side. The total will be how large your fondant will need to be.

When it was rolled to the right consistency we brushed a little water on the top and sides of the cake using a pastry brush. This helps the fondant stick and not slip.

Next, drape the fondant in half over your rolling-pin.  Then carefully place it on top of the cake.  You smooth the top and as you go down the sides you don’t press down but up slightly and work to just smooth it all over your cake. When you have it smooth without wrinkles, you want to trim the bottom with a small pastry wheel or pizza cutter.  You can dust off the powdered sugar and then put the final fondant pieces on your cake. If you wet the back of them, it will help them stick.

Lastly sit back and enjoy your minion cake before you cut into him to have something sweet to eat while you watch the movie. We felt bad cutting him, especially my 6 year old but in the end we knew we needed to. Everyone enjoyed our tasty minion cake.

If you really want to have some fun with a lot of other Illumination Entertainment’s Minions movie fans there is a Twitter viewing part on December 11th from 7-9pm EST! You can RSVP at www.SoFabChats.com and follow along with the #MinionsMovieNight on Twitter!

Please let me know if you try this, I would love to hear how it comes out.

Do you love the taste of homemade thick cut french fried potatoes, fried chicken, mozzarella sticks, friend zucchini and more but don’t like the fat, greasy mess and calories?  If so, you are going to love the Avalon Bay AB-Airfryer100.  This sleek Airfryer uses Rapid Air Circulation Technology which circulates hot air with speed and precision for perfect results. Fry, Bake, Grill or Roast your food for you and your family. Its time you experienced this revolutionary way to cook your food. Dont Fry Your Food, AirFry Your Food. 

This appliance is like a Mini Convection Oven. AirFryers work the same way as convection ovens, but better. The fan technology removes the fats & oils from the food, by allowing it to drip through the drip basket. It then AirFrys the food by lifting the oil and making your food airborne by coating it. It does this continuously throughout the cooking process. The result is, you don’t need to use oil. Meaning less waste, fewer calories and less guilt.

The Air Fryer uses a combination of high-speed circulation, which makes the hot air rapidly circulate within the AirFryer. All the ingredients within the non-stick food basket will be heated at once, as the heat will come in through all sides. This guarantees that with the Avalon Bay Airfryer your food will be cooked evenly due to the optimal heat distribution. The 30 minute timer lets you customize the settings to cook your favorite foods the way you want.  The AirFryer turns itself off when your food is cooked and the timer dings. The AirFryer has a fully adjustable temperature range from  200-400°F.

Features:

• Rapid Air Circulation Technology which circulates hot air with speed and precision for perfect results
• Mesh metal basket helps provide extra crispy results.
• Safety Element: 30 minute timer
• Hassle free clean up with dishwasher safe parts
• Stainless steel 304 heating element

With the Avalon Bay AB-AIRFRYER100 you have so many choices when it comes to cooking or reheating food for your family. The 3.2L mesh metal basket has a quick release allowing you to easily remove it. This striking red shaded AirFryer from Avalon Bay has a compact design and a stainless steel 304 heating element. The non slip feet, you can be rest assured that it will stay in place and not slip off your bench top. A unique feature on this appliance, is its top handle, which is great for carrying and storing away conveniently. For a quick clean-up this Air Fryer does come with some dishwasher safe parts.

What We Love:

We love this AirFryer because it is so sleek and secure, it does not move when cooking and with kids we do not have a safety issue.  When you fry in the conventional way, it is messy and dangerous. You can not leave the frying foods unattended and there is always the risk of splattering oil burning the person preparing the food or someone nearby. Oh and you know what is amazing, you can even bake a cake in it! It’s great to have the food we love without the calories of conventional frying.  If you want to try eating healthier the Avalon AirFryer is a great way to get the taste you love without the mess or calories you hate.

See our video review below to see how we made the thick cut fries pictured above:

Thick Cut Fries:

Five or Six Large Potatoes

1.5 Tbs of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt/Pepper To Taste

This is such and easy recipe, just peel the potatoes and cut into thick homestyle fries. Put the fries in the basket and coat with extra virgin olive oil. Cook in the AirFryer for 10 minutes. Take out basket shake and return to fryer to cook 10 more minutes.  Remove fries to plate and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

Do you have an AirFryer?  If so let me know in the comments. If you have any questions feel free to post them in the comments as well.  I look forward to reading your comments and questions.  Follow Avalon Bay on Facebook.

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

Winding down the school year, the last couple of days are upon us.  We have a kindergarten graduate among our littles and yesterday was the graduation. Today is the last day of school and then a busy summer ahead.  This week is so busy but special days like today need to be celebrated.

I like shortcuts whenever possible, especially in the summer.  The little hacks or tricks that  make life easier and let you get to the fun faster are welcomed by this mom of many.  After all, who does not want to get to the fun part faster, right?

Last weekend I was in Walmart and attended a demo where Blue Bunny premium vanilla bean ice cream was featured. It was absolutely delicious and we are already big Blue Bunny lovers! The vanilla ice cream gave me the inspiration for how to celebrate our little graduate’s big day! I thought, I would put together a make your own brownie sundae ice cream social at our house! What a great idea everyone will love and I could  thank the Blue Bunny vanilla bean ice cream in my cart for the inspiration.

So the time to celebrate arrived and I want to share just how easy you can recreate the same Make Your Own Brownie Sundae Ice Cream Social with your family. You can bake a box of 13 by 9 pan size brownies of your choice or if you want to skip that, you can pick up some that are already made at your store or bakery. Then shop for some Blue Bunny vanilla bean ice cream or another of your Blue Bunny favorite flavors.  I  think the vanilla complements the brownie sundae so well! Next, you will want to have lots of yummy toppings on hand so that everyone can customize their sundae. I used mini candies, nuts, caramel sauce, hot fudge, marshmallow fluff, rainbow sprinkles, whipped cream, nuts, and of course what sundae is complete without the cherry on top.

I picked up a large vinyl graduation table cloth for our outdoor picnic table. The tablecloth makes cleanup a snap. Then I added some graduation inspired party plates and decorations to make our little guy feel special! I baked a pan of brownies the night before and cut them into squares to use for the sundae foundation.  When everyone has their brownie, the fun begins! You can’t go wrong here, just let everyone add the toppings they like and enjoy!

If you are lucky enough to have left over ice cream the great Blue Bunny ice cream containers will keep it fresh to the last scoop.  I love the Blue Bunny containers because the lid fits great and is easy to open and store. Everyone loved making their brownie sundae just the way they wanted. It was a lot of fun and so simple. The best part was the first bite, the creamy, cold vanilla ice cream with the rich chocolate brownie and toppings was delicious.

If you think the store demo that I attended sounds like something you might want to attend, check out this list of stores for the upcoming 4th of July demo where Blue Bunny will be teaming up with Chips Ahoy! If you would like to have an Ice Cream Social to celebrate any life event, it’s so easy. I hope that you try it and let me know how it goes, my family is already asking when we can do it again.

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

I always think that the plan of getting up 20 minutes earlier in the morning will make getting the kids out the door less hurried and subsequently less stressful.  It makes perfect sense at night and I totally agree and would offer the advice to anyone.  However, when that alarm goes off and I am feeling particularly sleepy, knowing that I have the extra minutes can make me hit the snooze alarm a few times.  Now at the time, I think those extra minutes are so worth it, but when we are scurrying about trying to get everyone dressed and out to the bus stop in time and someone can’t find something they need, it hardly seems worth it.

I want my kids to not be stressed in the morning, so we make sure that we have everything ready to go the night before and that helps.  You know what else helps?  Having breakfast choices that are fast and easy.  That is why I keep Aunt Jemima Frozen Waffles in our freezer.  The resealable packs now come with  14 waffles instead of 10! Yeah for 4 more waffles and the resealable bag makes it easy to take what you need, leaving the rest sealed for freshness.

I buy mine from my local Shop Rite and they come in 4 different varieties; Homestyle, Buttermilk, Low Fat and Blueberry.  They are conveniently located in the frozen food aisle.

My kids love waffles and these can be heated in the toaster which makes breakfast on the go a breeze.  We usually just toast and serve with syrup,  fruit or fruit and yogurt on the side on school days.  However on weekends, we can go all out and cook sausage, eggs with cheese, Canadian bacon and of course have fruit and yogurt too.  A really special recipe for Grilled Peanut Butter, Banana & Honey Waffle Sandwiches is below!

My kids love a waffle sandwich that is made with 2 Aunt Jemima Waffles fresh from the toaster and with scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, topped with Canadian bacon or pork roll and topped with another waffle.  They also like the waffles with syrup and a side of sausage.  So many great ways to eat them, you can use your imagination and indulge your taste buds.  As for me I’m glad I have something in the freezer that makes breakfast fast and satisfying for my kids.  Aunt Jemima helps me have one less thing to worry about on busy mornings and gives us something special to look forward to on weekend mornings.

Recipe Idea:

I want to share another way to serve Aunt Jemima Waffles that is super yummy!  What you need is 1/2  banana cut in slices, about 1.5 Tbsp of Peanut butter, 1 Tsp of honey and 2 Aunt Jemima Waffles of your choice.

Toast the waffles and then spread the peanut butter on both waffles, top one side with the honey and the other side with sliced bananas.

Put it together and grill it lightly in a pan with a little butter.  After grilling both sides remove, cut and enjoy!

You know, the fact that I could have one of these yummy grilled peanut butter, banana & honey waffle breakfast sandwiches may just be the inspiration I need not to press that snooze button.  What do you think?  You can save  right now when you purchase with a coupon for $1.00 off your purchase of Aunt Jemima Frozen Waffles.  Click HERE to print your coupon. Let me know if you try them or any of the ideas in this post. #4MoreWaffles

Follow SoFabConnect’s board Aunt Jemima Frozen Waffles on Pinterest.

You know what’s one of my go to foods when I want a quick and easy side dish or to make to eat for lunch or a snack? It’s Success® Whole-Grain Brown Rice and Salsa.  I have been eating that for the last several years so I was absolutely stoked to be chosen to write a sponsored post for Success® Boil-In-Bag Rice.  I absolutely love it the brown rice and mild chunky salsa combination.  I have no idea what ever led me to mix the two, but from the first time I did, it was love at first bite.

Have you tried Success® Boil-In-Bag Rice?  If you have, then I am sure you will relate to how convenient it is to have in your pantry, I consider it a pantry staple.  It’s simple to make and the brown rice can even sit for 30 minutes in the hot water (with the heat off) before serving making it foolproof and worry free.

If you’ve never tried it, you should! Success® Whole-Grain Brown Rice is 100% whole grain and gluten-free. The rice has a great chewy texture and nut-like flavor that are a nice departure from traditional rice products on the shelves.  The cooked brown rice can be used in a variety of recipes from salads, soups, main entrees to desserts just like white rice.  Success® Whole-Grain Brown Rice is available in two sizes (14 oz. and 32 oz.) to accommodate different household sizes.

I tried a recipe for the first time with Success® Whole-Grain Brown Rice.  I improvised on one of the recipes I found online at the Success® Rice website. and made a fried brown vegetable rice.  It was super easy.  I just prepared 2 bags of Success® Whole-Grain Brown Rice according to the package directions.

I put the rice in a bowl and mixed it with peas and carrots (you can use cooked fresh, canned or frozen) and green beans. Then I  heated up some oil in pan to cook 4 beaten eggs for about 40 seconds, began to break up the eggs  into small pieces while they finished cooking.

When the eggs were cooked I added the rice and veggies and cooked until heated through adding a few tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce. An easy way to a healthy side that tastes great.

You may also like Success® White Boil-In-Bag Rice.  I hope you will share with me if you are a user of this rice and what your favorite way to use it is or if you try a new recipe with it.  If you have never tried it, I hope you will let us know your thoughts if you do and what you made with it.  For inspiration you can browse more than 300 recipes from breakfast to dessert on the Success® Rice website at www.successrice.com. For additional recipe inspiration, lifestyle tips and more, you can connect with Success Rice on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Success® Rice is one of the participating brands in a “How Are You Cooking This Fall?” Sweepstakes from O, The Oprah Magazine! Would you like to win a variety of culinary-themed prizes?  If so, head on over to O’s Magazine and submit the entry form and pin with inspiration from O’s PROMO: “How Are You Cooking This Fall?” Pinterest board for a chance to win.

I consider myself a good baker but I never thought I could make bread the way I did last weekend.  I had help from Emile Henry.  I was sent the Emile Henry Bread Cloche  and Baguette Baker in beautiful, warm red.

As I looked at the recipe book, I marveled at how quickly you could make bread, artisan style bread that looked delicious. I still doubted mine would turn out as perfectly.  I started making the quick-bake recipe of the round bread and it was so easy.

3 cups of bread flour

1 cup of warm water (95 degrees F)

2 tsp of salt

2 tsp of granulated sugar

2 tsp of dried baker’s yeast

2 tbsp. of milk

In a large bowl mix the bread flour, salt, sugar and dried yeast.

Pour in the warm water and knead for about 2-3 minutes.

 Form the dough into a ball and cover with a dish towel.

Put the covered bowl in a warm place away from drafts to rise for 20 minutes.  Uncover the dough and knead to remove the carbon dioxide, form the dough into a ball.  Sprinkle some flour on the platter of the bread cloche and place the ball of dough on the platter.

Cover with the cloche and let rise for another 45 minutes at room temperature.

Brush a little milk over the top at the end of the rise time and sprinkle with flour.

Make several incisions on the top and cover again with the cloche. Bake in a preheated oven of 460 degrees F for 35 minutes and then allow the bread to cool on the platter with the cloche removed.

The whole process was fast and easy and I cannot tell you how impressed I was when I removed the Cloche after baking and saw that beautiful round artisan style bread on the platter.  It tasted as good as it looked and the whole family enjoy it right from the oven.

The baguette baker was the next thing I tried and even though the first time baguettes could use a little artisan tweaking the taste of them was better than anything we have ever tasted.  The way the baker cooks the crust but leaves the middle soft and chewy is unbelievable.  My kids ate those faster than you could say Bon Jour.  The are definitely one of our new favorites and I only wish my parents were still alive to taste these breads because they would have loved them!  I never knew that you could bake this kind of bread at home and now that we know, we are baking bread almost daily.

For the Baguettes we used the “Real French Baguette” recipe below:

2 cups of bread flour

1 cup of warm water (110 degrees F)

1 tsp of fine salt

1 tsp of dried yeast

I added about 2 tsp to 3 tsp of granulated sugar ( I added by eye)

Mix flour, salt and yeast in a mixing bowl and add the warm water and knead the dough about 5 minutes until you can form a smooth ball.  Cover the bowl with a dish cloth and let rise in a warm location, away from drafts for about 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, knead the dough again to remove the carbon dioxide and then divide into three equal portions. Sprinkle each piece with flour and shape into a rectangle about the size of your hand then roll the dough a little longer in length than the depression in the baguette pan and about 10 cm wide.  Fold one side about 2/3 of the way over and then the other side 1/4 of the way over to form a cylinder shape.

Sprinkle the baguette pan with flour and turn the formed dough with the folded side on the bottom and place in the pan.  Repeat with the other 2 pieces.  Cover with the lid and let rise for 2o minutes while you preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

After 20 minutes open the cover and brush with water, sprinkle with flour and make several diagonal cuts in each baguette.

Replace cover and bake for 25 minutes and then remove the cover and continue baking for 2 minutes until they are nice and brown.

As soon as these came out we ate them hot with fresh butter and they were gone in minutes!

If you like to bake bread or if you have never made bread, you have to try these Emile Henry accessories.  You will not believe the bread you will be making and neither will your family.

Quality Bakeware For Breads:

Emile Henry enters the artisan bread baking category with the Bread Cloche. The ceramic Bread Cloche with its bell-shaped cover allows you to proof your bread directly in the bread cloche. The lid also traps steam from the baking bread to create an environment similar to a steam-injected oven. The steam gives the bread a crunchy, chewy crust. The Emile Henry Bread Cloche is sized for a round loaf made with 3-cups of flour. Recipe and Instruction booklet included. Like all Emile Henry products, the Bread Cloche is made of all natural materials and is backed by a ten-year warranty, which is not offered by any other ceramic manufacturers. Emile Henry is located in the Burgundy town of Marcigny, France.

The new ceramic Baguette Baker from Emile Henry bakes three, 13½inch long by 2¼ inch wide, artisanal French baguettes. The Baguette Baker traps steam from the baking bread to create an environment similar to a steam-injected oven. The steam gives the bread a crunchy, golden crust and a chewy interior. The Baguette Baker simplifies the process so home bakers have more consistent, delicious results every time they make bread. A recipe book is included with the product so even a novice baker will be confident in baking bread at home. The Baker, made in France from Burgundy clay.

Emile Henry’s Oven Ceramic bakeware and tableware is made in Marcigny France since 1850 from high fired Burgundy clay. The natural clay is unsurpassed for conducting and retaining heat. Emile Henry’s Oven Ceramic is made with an exclusive process to produce strong and durable ceramic bakeware and tableware for everyday use.

• Resistance Against Mechanical Shocks: During everyday use, there are many opportunities to bang a dish or a set of plates. Particularly resistant to shocks, our ceramic is even used in restaurants!
• Resistance Against Temperature Changes: A dish or stewpot should be able to withstand wide variations in temperature. Our ceramics allow our products to be taken directly from the freezer to the hot oven (+250°C/500°F).
• Resistance Against Fading Colors: Heat, the dishwasher or sharp instruments will all have an ageing effect on a product. Our glazes are particularly resistant to the dishwasher and the most aggressive of detergents.

The quality of these pieces is extraordinary and the ease of use and clean up is absolutely divine.

Emile Henry is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!  One lucky blog reader will receive their own Bread Cloche and Baguette Baker- A $260 value!!!  Thank you to Emile Henry for the review pieces and for sponsoring this awesome giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!!  Open to US residents.

Emile Henry Bread Cloche and Baguette Baker Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Enter to win using the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good Luck!!!

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First weekend after the start of school and a busy one it was!  We have so much going on, sometimes it feels like a three-ring circus!  We had a #FitMadeFun Party to kick off the launch of LeapFrogs new LeapBand Activity Tracker for kids.  It was a lot of fun and there was a huge variety of kids Cliff protein bars but more to come on that soon.

I did some baking too and I want to share with you a lime blueberry pound cake I made.  It really was supposed to be a lemon blueberry pound cake but I  found out I only had limes so I went with that.  It was really good and really tasted like lemon to me.  It must have tasted good to everyone because it did not even last 6 hours before it disappeared.

I found a recipe online that was inspired by the Starbucks’ Lemon Loaf and as I said above I made some changes.

I wash my limes with a toxic free soap to get rid of the wax and any other dirt on the limes.

When grating the zest of lemons or limes just grate the colored rind and not the white pith as that is very bitter.

Love these Juicers, so great to get every drop of juice out of the limes.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper with the paper hanging over the sides. I sprayed my parchment paper with a bit of coconut oil.
3. In a small bowl, pour in buttermilk, lime juice, and lime zest. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
5. In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar.
6. Add 1 egg at a time, mixing well in between each egg.
7. While mixing the batter on low speed, add the flour mixture and then the buttermilk mixture until batter is smooth. Do not over mix.
8. In a small bowl toss the blueberries with about 2 tablespoons of flour to coat them. (This prevents the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake.)
9. Stir in the flour-covered blueberries.
10. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Using a spatula spread the batter so it is spread out evenly in the pan.
11. Bake in a preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool completely.
12. Prepare the glaze by mixing 2 cups powdered sugar with 4 to 6 tablespoons of lime juice.
13. If your glaze is too thick (mine was) add milk a tablespoon at a time until it is the desired consistency.
14. Pour over the top and sides of the cooled cake.

Let me know if you give this recipe a try, remember if you like use lemon instead of lime.  For another great blueberry cake recipe check this one out too! Moist, Delicious Blueberry Pound Cake!

The blueberries in New York State are abundant and ready for picking. We went out to pick our first batch a couple of weekends ago.  There are so many ripe berries and so many that are ripening now, that I plan on making lots of blueberry recipes.

Our first batch went to make a delicious, moist blueberry pound cake. This pound cake is so easy to prepare and you just layer the batter and the berry, cinnamon, sugar mixture, cover with the batter and repeat the whole process.

2 cups of freshly picked blueberries tossed with the cinnamon and sugar

This is the mixed cake batter all ready to start layering in the bundt pan.

First Layer-Pound Cake Batter

Second Layer-Half of the Blueberry Mixture

Third Layer Is The Second 1/3 of the Cake Batter.

Fourth Layer is The Rest of The Blueberry Mixture

Fifth and Final Layer is the Rest of the Pound Cake Batter.

Bake Cake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Mix up the sugar glaze before the cake is completely cool.

I adapted a recipe I found online, if you want to try it, the recipe is below.  If you do try it, leave a comment and let me know how it turned out.

My family tries to live a healthy lifestyle, that includes exercising, eating right, living green and toxin free and getting enough rest.  It can be hard to find the time to prepare healthy meals and so recipes that make it easy to prepare healthy dinners my family will like are always a huge help.  Having healthy snacks ready is a great way not to succumb to less than healthy options when you are feeling a need to snack or curb your hunger.  Having cut up veggies you can pair with a healthy dressing or dip is a great way to avoid greasy chips or calorie filled cakes and cookies.  Fruit and veggies smoothies are delicious and filling and pack a punch of energy.  Simple planning can help you live a “Heart Healthy” life and take charge of your health!

Health is foremost on people’s minds, keeping your family in tip-top shape can be a challenge in these busy times. Campbell’s Soup wants you to “Address Your Heart” with Heart Healthy Tips, recipes and more!

Visit AddressYourHeart.com to get heart-healthy tips, including 21 Campbell’s recipes that are certified by the AHA and product coupons, as well as Facebook, for the latest Campbell’s recipes and offers.

Click HERE for money-saving coupons and special offers on Campbell’s products.  I have posted some delicious Campbell’s recipes below that you may want to try for dinner and just see how delicious it can be to eat  heart healthy.

Many people started the new year with resolutions and popular resolutions were to eat healthier, lose weight and get regular exercise.  If you made resolutions to eat healthier you might want to head to Gortons.com where you can download a coupon and explore their products and recipes.  Gortons has a nice selection of grilled fish and it can help you prepare low-calorie, healthy meals for yourself and your family with ease.

I recently was provided with coupons to pick up several packages of Gorton’s delicious seafood products as well as 2 large oven mitts, a spatula and recipe cards.  Tonight I took out the grilled Tilapia and made a Tilapia Scampi and served it over rice pilaf and with steamed vegetables.  It was absolutely delicious, the fish cooked beautifully and was tender and flaky.  My little ones loved it which speaks volumes because they are very picky eaters.  I could not have asked for an easier to prepare healthy and satisfying dinner for my family.  I cannot wait to try the other varieties I bought!

Some more exciting news is that you can participate in Gorton’s Real Fabulous Sweepstakes where you can enter daily to win a $1000 Makeover Grand Prize and weekly prizes. You can also connect with Gorton’s on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Giveaway winner will win a prize pack like this from Gorton’s!!!

Gorton’s is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!  One lucky blog reader will win two full-value product coupons, 1 pair of Gorton’s-branded oven mitts, a Gorton’s spatula and an assortment of Gorton’s recipe cards.  Thanks to Gorton’s for the review products and for sponsoring this tasty giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!!  Open to US residents.

Gorton’s Grilled Seafood Prize Pack Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good Luck!!!

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Well, if there was ever a right time to experience a taste of summer, it’s right now.  Today was in the high 30’s and I tell you, it felt like a heat wave!  Coming out of that frigid Arctic blast was a blessing and to celebrate we made S’mores.

Now we did not gather around the outdoor fire pit but we took advantage of a new Hershey’s product to help us get to yummy super fast.  I was selected to receive Hershey’s Chocolate Spread from CrowdTap and we wasted no time in fixing up some Winter S’mores!  It was simple to do with graham crackers, Hershey’s Chocolate Spread and miniature marshmallows.  The kids enjoyed a sweet treat after coming in from playing in the snow and we all savored a little taste of summer, which was delightful after freezing our tootsies off the last week!

Hershey’s Spreads come in three delicious flavors: Chocolate, Chocolate with Hazelnut and Chocolate with Almond. Click HERE to browse some great recipes using Hershey’s Spreads.  So get yourself some today and Spread The Possibilities!

Use the code cyber35 to get 35% off your emeals subscription!

What’s for dinner?  It has to be one of the age-old questions and one that most people dread.  Does it seem like you are cooking the same things over and over again?  Maybe it feels like there is never time to plan for what you want to cook so you are scrambling at the last-minute to pull something together.  Perhaps the lack of planning has you wasting your hard-earned money because you are getting take out far too often or buying ingredients at specialty stores because time is at a premium.

If you are feeling any or all of this, a subscription to emeals may be a solution.  emeals makes meal planning easy, you simply pick a meal plan, then you put in your family size and last where you shop.  What you get is, your meal plan for the week along with a shopping list and a cost for all the items.  There are many meal plans to choose from and they include, Classic Meals, Clean Eating, Paleo, Mediterranean, Slow Cooker, Low Carb, Low Fat, Portion Control, Natural & Organic, Simple Gourmet and Gluten Free and Vegetarian.  You can even add a Breakfast and Lunch plan to your subscription.

With emeals you will get a variety in your meals and everything is so easy, your recipe, shopping list, even coupons when applicable sent right to your email.  You’ll save time and waste less, the meals are designed to use up ingredients and will be used for more than one meal.  Less waste of food means less waste of money and the whole process will have you wasting less time stressing about what to make for dinner.  Dave Ramsey recommend using emails to save a ton of time and money!  On average  eMeals saves consumers $1,000 a year because of the smart meal planning and coupons!  Right now you can get 35% off –planning saves money and this savings will be even more important after the holidays! Speaking of the holidays, check out this Paleo Turkey Recipe!

I chose the Classic Meals plan and for my first meal picked the Spinach Rolls.  They were very easy to prepare.  You simply boil some lasagna noodles, thaw frozen chopped spinach which you mix with Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, one egg and salt and pepper to taste.  Then you take the prepared tomato sauce and put some on the bottom of the pan and lay the noodles down, fill with the spinach mixture and roll.  When they are all done you put the remaining sauce on and top with mozzarella cheese.  Then bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes and put your garlic bread in to coincide with your rolls completion time.  It was so easy and my family loved it!

Spinach Rolls
Crusty Garlic Bread
Prep 25 minutes

Cook Total 40 minutes

Total Time  1 hour 5 minutes
9 lasagna noodles, cooked
10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
½ cup Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon dried Italian seasonings
26 oz jar spaghetti sauce, divided
1 cup shredded mozzarella
—————————————————————
1 loaf garlic bread
Cook pasta as directed; drain and lay out on
wax paper. Pat dry with paper towel. Squeeze
spinach dry. In a medium bowl, combine
spinach with ricotta, egg, Parmesan cheese,
garlic, Italian seasonings, salt and pepper to
taste. Pour 1 cup sauce in bottom of baking
dish. Spread ricotta mixture over lasagna
noodles and roll them up. Place seam down in
baking dish. Top with remaining sauce and
sprinkle with mozzarella. Cover dish with foil
and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
—————————————————————
Prepare bread according to package directions

I received a one year subscription to eMeals in exchange for a review and was compensated by Markerly.  As always my opinions, words and thoughts are 100% my own!!!

We’re a family of chocolate lovers and Hershey’s is the go-to candy choice in our home.  My little guys think there’s no better treat than a simple Hershey’s kiss.  They work so well for bribery, lol.  Who can resist , Kit Kat, Rolo, York Peppermint Patties, and of course the classic Hershey Bar, such an important component to the tasty S’mores we make at our fire pit.  I grew up with these candies and we are true Hershey fans. One of our favorite places is Hershey Park-The Sweetest Place on Earth.  It’s only a few hours from our home and many family vacations have been spent there.  Our Christmas tree is filled with treasured ornaments we brought home from our trips and include a replica of the Hershey kiss street lights adorned with their festive garland, the Hershey Park Carousel, a family of bears holding a huge Hershey’s Bar, a silver plated Hershey’s Kiss type of cage that can hold and trap delicious Hershey Kisses for holiday snacking and many more.

Halloween is a perfect time to have delectable Hershey’s chocolates on hand.  Have you see the new unwrapped Reese’s minis they are absolutely adorable and delicious.  Another of our favorites are  the pumpkin shaped York Peppermint Patties. The Kit Kat bar is sporting festive orange coating, Reese’s, Rolos and Kisses are wrapped in the colors of autumn and you need to check out the new Halloween Scream Eggs!

The Celebrate With Hershey’s website has great ideas for parties, crafts, recipes, costumes, videos and loads of other fun stuff to explore.  A great recipe we tried was the Hershey’s Kisses Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies (recipe below), they were a huge hit and my sweet four-year old came in and said, “Mommy what are you making for us?”  He was thrilled to see a cookie with his favorite candy all unwrapped and sitting with pride in the middle of a delectable peanut butter nest.  They are absolutely a family favorite we have made for years in our home.  There is a similar recipe for one using the Pumpkin Spice Kiss Here.

Earlier this year I made the ultimate in decadent desserts with a  brownie bottom, peanut butter, chocolate,Reese’s  peanut butter cup cheesecake.  It was a birthday cake for my son and is filled with cut up Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups as well.

So get ready for all the little and big ghosts, goblins, princesses and superheroes who will be stopping by for a treat on Halloween with a variety of Hershey’s candy.  If you do you are certain not going to be the brunt of any tricks.

This post is SPONSORED by Global Influence with PRODUCT provided by Hershey’s but the opinions expressed are my own.

In our house we always buy Eggland’s Best Eggs in fact we always buy the 18 count size because we go through a lot of eggs in our big family.  During the holiday season when we are doing a lot of cooking and baking you will find 2 18 count packages.  I  buy them because they are healthier for my family and that is important to me.

Eggland’s Best is America’s #1 egg, and cooking with Eggland’s Best has never been more nutritious! Compared to ordinary eggs, Eggland’s Best eggs have:

• 25% less Saturated Fat
• 10 times more Vitamin E
• 3 times more Vitamin B12
• 2 times more Vitamin D
• More than double the Omega-3
• 35% more Lutein

If you are looking for ideas of how to use Eggland’s Best  eggs in delicious recipes your family will love then you will be happy to learn that they are launching their second original eCookbook, “Your Best Recipes” featuring the Top 20 recipes from the first nation-wide Eggland’s Best “Your Best Recipe Contest”.   These delicious recipes were selected from thousands of entries submitted by at-home chefs and bloggers.  Each recipe highlights a creative way of using EB eggs.

Eggland’s Best approached me as a blogger with an opportunity to download this eCookbook (a $9.99 value) for free and allowed me to bring that special offer to all of you!

There are two easy steps to download Eggland’s Best eCookbook:

1.  Visit the special promotion page and connect your Facebook account to “like” Eggland’s Best on Facebook.

2.  Once you’ve connected your Facebook account, click the red button to download your eCookbook.

Hurry! This free eCookbook download offer is only available through February 15, 2013.

If you find yourself running around a lot more these days, you can tell, we are full swing into spring.  It seems like every day we are running somewhere, and usually a few minutes behind when I realize my little guy is going to need a snack at brother’s t-ball game or something similar.  This is the time I want to be able to reach for something healthy that he can munch on the go.  If you find yourself in similar situations, then you will be happy to hear what I am going to share.  I was recently picked to take part in a Musselman’s Applesauce Review and Giveaway.  I was sent an assortment of Musselman’s delicious applesauce products.  Musselman’s is also on Pinterest with great recipes that you can use their applesauce in to whip up healthy treats for when you are on the go during the busy spring and summer months.  Recipes like Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies, Chewy Fruit Bars, Fruit & Nut Trail Cookies and so many more.  You can search through all of the recipes HERE.  Or follow Musselman’s on Pinterest HERE.

We chose to make the Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies first.  They were super easy to make and they taste very cake like more than cookie, kind of like a muffin top.  Super delicious, sweet and soft.  I can’t wait to try the Chewy Fruit Bars and Fruit & Nut Trail Cookies.

Musselman’s is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings.  One lucky blog reader will win an assortment of Musselman’s applesauce products like I received.  Than you Musselman’s for the review products and for sponsoring this saucy giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!!  Open to US residents.

Musselman’s Applesauce Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter below.  Good Luck!!!

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Long time Mommy Ramblings’ readers, probably remember that my first sponsored review and giveaway was for, My Little Cupcake Cake Pop Mold.  At that time, there was only one style available, the little cupcake.

Well, it has been some time since that first review, and as Mommy Ramblings has grown so has My Little Cupcake.  They now feature other cake pop molds. and I recently had the opportunity to review their set of 4 different shaped cake pop molds available in their variety set.

Now, you may recall when I did my original review, I did not use the no-bake Oreo recipe. but instead used two 9 inch layers of red velvet cake that was freshly baked and crumbled and my own cream cheese frosting.

This time I decided to go with the Oreo recipe that comes with the molds.  It was so easy to prepare.  You just take 1 package of Oreos (3 Sleeves if you buy the family pack) and crush them in your food processor.

Then, add an 8 ounce package of cream cheese and process until it is all combined and makes a sort of dough. Chill the dough for 20-30 minutes.  One of the things I noticed was, if the dough is not chilled enough or becomes warm while waiting to be molded, it is harder to work with and will not mold as well.  You may want to work with half at a time, and keep the other half chilling.

Once you get the knack of how much dough you need to make a complete mold, you will easily mold the dough into the variety of shapes.  It is a bit of a messy process, because you need to overfill the molds a little, and the excess will be squeezed out.  Be prepared for your hands to get very messy!

When you have finished molding all the dough, you chill or freeze them for another 20-30 minutes.  I found it best to take only a few out at a time and keep the others in the fridge until you are ready. This prevents them from getting warm before you dip them. I found the best results came from the pops that were the coldest, because they are more solid and easier to work with.   So for best results the colder the better because they are more solid and easier to work with.

You need to melt chocolate for the coating. You can use a variety of dipping chocolate, I have found the Almond Bark or the Candi Quick give me the best results. Some of the wafer varieties do not melt thin enough and Crisco is recommended to thin it. I don’t like using Crisco, so that is why I opt for Almond Bark or Candi Quick.

You  need to have your pop sticks handy and a block of styrofoam to hold the pops as they dry.  First dip the stick top in some chocolate, and then stick it in one of the molded tops.  You can place the pop in the styrofoam while you do a few others, and then you can start to dip the first one.

Now, you can get as creative as you want with the dipping.  For instance, with the cupcake style if you want a two-tone color, you need to dip the bottom first and then place it on the stick. Then, when the bottom is dry, you can dip the top in another color.

Another option, is to dip the entire cupcake in the color you want on the bottom, let dry and then, dip the top in a different color. You can also quickly add sprinkles or other decors before the chocolate dries.  I will repeat the key tip is to keep the pops as cold as possible until you are ready to work with them.

You can go crazy with these pops, transforming them into people, animals and more! The Variety Assortment gives you the ability to create many different kinds of cake and cookie pops.  The molds are so easy to clean. I  throw mine right in the dishwasher, and it could not be easier.

The heart mold is one of my favorites because it makes a nice plump pop and there are a lot of ways you can embellish it to look like different things.  I still like the cupcake and think it is pretty easy to get a great two-tone result using it.  The cone is a nice unique shape that can be used for christmas trees, candy corn, hats, and lots of other things.  The ball is good if you want perfectly shaped cake balls or truffles.

In conclusion, I found it much easier working with the Oreo mixture and it was much faster, letting me get to the fun part faster.  Beyond that, the Oreos and cream cheese have a great flavor and moist texture inside the pop.

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If you are ready to try the best chocolate chip cookie recipe made with coconut oil, look no further.  Seriously, everyone I have shared this recipe with raves about it.  They are absolutely one of the easiest and best chocolate chip cookies you will ever make and eat.  So let me show you what to do so you can get baking.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies:

• 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

I finally had a few minutes the other day to quickly go through my new issue of Martha Stewart Living.  It had so many good articles and features, and I loved that she said it was time to start planting.  It also happened to be a very nice sunny day here, albeit with snow still on the ground.  I finally told my husband that I am thinking I would like him to build me another raised bed this season.  He took it pretty well.  Since we both VitaMix so much I want to add a lot more greens like Kale and Swiss Chard so I need more space.  I figure if I brought it up now, he would have a lot of time to get used to it.  In fact it took him no time at all to build me the two large raised beds last year and another one will be a cinch. : )

She had a lot of great recipes I want to try in the issue as well.  She had quite a few pages dedicated to coffee cake and so many decadent varities that I just have to chose one and make it this weekend.  The trouble is choosing because they all look so good.  Maybe I will bake one every weekend until I have tried them all.  We are going to be having some very rainy weather the next few days so baking fits in well.

I am antsy to try some kind of craft project too this weekend, but I cannot decide.   I have so many ideas running through my head.  I really want to make some kind of great family message and scheduling center.  I cannot find anything like what I want so I know I will have to make it.  With my big family and all of our crazy schedules it is hard to make something ready made fit.  I have been doing a lot of brainstorming on this and have a lot of ideas.  We will see how quickly I can get it onto paper so I can create this control center that I dream about.

Then I also have to decide what review and give-away I want to do next.   Hmmm, should it be a cleaning product, super fun toy, great cutting and prep boards, closet organizers, the list just goes on.  What would you like to see next?

Can you believe it?  I am writing about cake pops once again.  Over the hours I have had to reflect after making them yesterday, I have had a lot of thoughts.  First, since I wrote my review last night right after making them, I do not think I was far enough away from the process to truly form an evaluation.  We all know that recipes are trial and error and that we often come away with things we would do different next time to improve the process.  So now that I have had the proper time to contemplate everything, I can say that I will attempt to make cake pops again.  I have to give it at least one more shot.  I think I will try the mold inventors recipe of using 1 package of Oreo cookies and one brick of cream cheese.  I do not think I will ever make cake balls again with red velvet cake.  It is not that the cake did not taste good but being they were on traveling sticks and having 5 kids that include two toddlers,  it had its problems.  Since the cake balls can fall off the sticks and some little children may then accidentally step in the fallen cake balls or go to pick them  up and accidentally make contact with my walls, there are some issues.  See, my kitchen tile floor and the hallway look like they would in the aftermath of a mob hit.  There is even a red hand print on the window of my side door.  Looks like the person fought until the end.   So today as I have been scrubbing up the evidence of the cake ball massacre, I have come to the conclusion that said children will only be allowed to eat the cake balls in their appropriate chairs.  Beyond that, I have found that it would have been easier if I had thinned the dipping chocolate with Crisco.  I hate using Crisco so I don’t have it in the house but after researching the web it seems that it is the thinner of choice.  Also, I think I would use different dipping chocolate.  I spent twice the price getting some premium brand and it seems I would have been better off with one of the more inexpensive choices out there.  So I guess we live and learn and I am no exception.  Sometime this week I will get to the store to get some more supplies and try this adventure again.  As I look at some of the alternatives to how others get a cupcake shape on the stick using a series of cutters and molding, I can safely say the “My Little Cupcake POP Mold” is a much easier and friendlier option.  You can also use powdered sugar on your hands to make handling the mixture less sticky.  So with all this said, I will indeed embark down this road again with my newly gained knowledge.  I will of course let you all know with pictures and words how it goes.   So yes, there will be more posts about cake pops in the future.  I certainly hope the winner of the give-away mold will send me some pictures of their creations so I can post them for you all to see as well.  Hope you all are enjoying Superbowl Sunday.  Jimi made a huge spread of goodies, wings, spiedies, dips, veggies, and more.  I love being married to a man who can cook.