Product Review

Make Every Day a Holiday with Pillsbury Baking // $115 GIVEAWAY

3 · Jan 15, 2014 · 150 Comments

Now that the Holidays are over… are you feeling a little low? With January's wacky weather, Polar Vortex and all, are you looking for something to celebrate? That's the way my family was feeling so, we busted out one of our favorite Pillsbury Baking mixes and got a little creative and made a…

It was ooey-gooey sweet messy goodness right on a plate. Our goal was not to create the most beautiful cake, but to make a cake that could transport us to somewhere warm and inviting full of fun memories. We thought that sitting in front of a campfire and toasting up some s'mores was the perfect inspiration!

We started with two boxes of Pillsbury Moist Supreme Dark Chocolate Cake Mix and then went to town trying to create the perfect S'mores Cake.

This is how it ended up… Dark Chocolate Cake with a chocolate ganache and marshmallow graham cracker butter cream filling then topped with more ganache and fresh homemade marshmallow was piped on top and then toasted. YUM!!

I will have the full recipe in a few days because… Pillsbury and I would LOVE to send you some baking inspiration first!

What have you been dreaming of making fight those winter blues? Need some inspiration? Head over to Pillsbury Baking's Facebook page and you'll find all kinds of amazing ideas.

The fabulous folks at Pillsbury are giving away a $115 prize pack to one lucky winner! It's full of all kinds of Pillsbury baking mixes, frostings and a $100 American Express gift card!!!

· Garland Green Vanilla Flavored Holiday Funfetti Frosting

· Rudolph Red Vanilla Flavored Holiday Funfetti Frosting

· Dark Chocolate Seasonal Cake

· Chocolate Peppermint Cookie and Peppermint Frosting

· Holiday Sugar Cookie

· $100 dollar Visa or American Express gift card

· Total estimated giveaway value: $115

Just follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter box below…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer // I am on the Pillsbury Celebrations Starter crew and have received product and compensation for this post. All thoughts, ideas and opinions are 100% my own. ©/® The J.M. Smucker Company. Pillsbury is a trademark of The Pillsbury Company, LLC, used under license.

Minty Muddy Chex Party Mix // A Fun Holiday Goodie

2 · Dec 16, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Ahhhh, I love this time of the year! Everyone is starting to focus more on family and getting ready for the holidays. I know in our house with the weather cooling down we are also slowing down and doing more things together like watching movies and playing games together. With all that… We are constantly on the look out for good snacks. One of our all time favorite is the iconic Chex® Party Mix. You can never go wrong when you are snacking on Chex® Party Mix!

Let's start with the cereal it's self… They have EIGHT different flavors! Seven of them are gluten free (Wheat Chex® cereal is not. For more Nutritional information please visit this site and make sure you read each label.) They have everything from Rice Chex®, Corn Chex® and even some super fancy ones like Chocolate, Vanilla and even Apple Cinnamon Chex® Cereal. All of them are like blank canvases when it comes to making Chex® Party Mix. Seriously… The sky is the limit. Don't believe me, check out the Chex® Party Mix Recipe site and you'll see all kinds of fun ideas. The nice thing about the party mix is that, yes… you get to have some of those scrumptious treats that we all crave but, you also get a nice helping of some good whole grains from the Chex® Cereal. Win / win!

The kiddos and I decided to create our own salty & sweet Chex® Party Mix recipe to have around the house. We call it Minty Muddy Chex® Mix and it's a fun flavor combination of sweet chocolate, Jiff's Whipped Peanut Butter & Chocolate Mint Spread, Peanut butter pretzels and salty Corn Chex® Cereal. It's sweet and nutty all at the same time. The bonus… It only takes 15 minutes to make!

Minty Muddy Chex® Party Mix Ingredients

8 cups Corn Chex® cereal

2 cups Vanilla Chex® cereal

1 cup butter

1 cup Jiff's Whipped Peanut Butter Chocolate Mint Spread

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 vanilla

1/2 cup powdered sugar

salt

1 cup mini M&M's

2 cups Rold Gold peanut butter pretzels

Minty Muddy Chex® Party Mix Directions

Start with a small microwave safe bowl. Add a 1/2 a stick of butter, the chocolate chips and the Jiff Whipped Peanut Butter Chocolate Mint Spread. Microwave in 30 second segments until the mixture has melted and is nice and smooth. Remove from Microwave and stir in vanilla. Place 3 cups of Corn Chex® into a large bowl and drizzle chocolate mixture on top. Carefully fold the chocolate mixture into the Corn Chex® Cereal. Place the chocolate covered cereal into a large Ziplock bag and add powdered sugar into the bag. Seal bag and shake the bag until the chocolate covered cereal is covered with the powdered sugar. Pour out onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Place in the refrigerator to set.

In another small microwave safe bowl or measuring cup, add the remaining butter. Place in Microwave for 45-60 seconds or until melted. Add the remaining Corn Chex® cereal into a large microwave safe bowl and drizzle the butter over the top. Add a generous amount of salt to the bowl and gently fold in the butter and salt into the cereal. Once the mixture is mixed well, place in the microwave for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the microwave and place in the refrigerator to cool for a few minutes.

Once your salty and sweet mixture is cool and set, place into a large bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix well.

Now, this snack is fabulous to share with family and friends during all of your favorite activities. This year I am going to make up several large batches and then bag them up as a fun holiday treat to share with neighbors, friends, co-workers, the mailman… anyone really!

This post brought to you by Chex® cereal. I have been compensated and given free product for my time & commitment, but all opinions are 100% mine

Gilgamesh Oatmeal with Bob’s Red Mill Oats

0 · Oct 28, 2013 · 2 Comments

This post brought to you my Bob's Red Mill // I’m part Scottish… By definition I was born with oatmeal in my blood. OK, not really… But, oatmeal is a large part of my Scottish heritage and one part that I really love. It’s one of those foods that you don’t have to feel one iota of guilt for loving. No matter what your taste, there is an oatmeal for you.

Bob’s Red Mill has a whole collection of different types of oatmeal… Organic Extra Thick, Steel Cut, Scottish, Rolled. Old fashioned and quick cooking, they even have Oat Bran. So no matter how you like your oatmeal, Bob’s Red Mill has you covered. They are an employee owned company that has a passion for creating quality products with time honored processes. Rather than trying to find new technology to process fine whole grain products, they use time tested, traditional techniques that preserve the quality and integrity of the grain, which in turn brings even better nutrition to your table.

The folks at Bob’s Red Mill challenged me to try one of their fun recipes to try with their oatmeal.

I chose their Gilgamesh recipe and added a few more little treats to fit my tastes. It has a bit of an exotic taste that takes me back to my travels in Israel. I made mine with the Organic Extra Thick Rolled Oats to have a real hearty bite. Here’s how you make it…

Gilgamesh Oatmeal Ingredients

Pistachios

Chopped Dates or Dried Figs

Golden Raisins

Honey

Milk or cream

Cardamom or Cinnamon (you could even do a small pinch of both)

Gilgamesh Oatmeal Directions

Cook your favorite type of Oatmeal according to package directions. Once slightly cool, place in a bowl and top with chopped pistachios, chopped dates or dried figs (I couldn’t find dates so I went with dried figs), golden raisins, a splash of milk or cream, a drizzle of honey and a small pinch of cardamom and/or cinnamon.

You will be transported to the Mediterranean and all the spicy flavors of that part of the world. It’s a trip in a bowl for sure!

Spicy & exotic not your style? Don’t worry… the folks at Bob’s Red Barn have all kinds of ideas up their sleeves.

So, what’s your favorite way to eat your oatmeal? What’s your favorite type of oatmeal? Come share some of your favorite toppings!

Disclaimer // This is a post sponsored by Bob's Red Mill. I received product and payment for this post. However, all thoughts and opinions are my very own.

GODIVA Truffle Fight™ #TruffleTakeoff

21 · Oct 20, 2013 · Leave a Comment

This post is brought to you by Godiva // In my perfect dream life I would travel the world with my camera and spoon in hand. Money wouldn’t be an issue, nor would calories. I would travel to exotic locals all over the world and photograph doors and windows and try as much authentic local cuisine as I could. I would love to photograph a beautiful coffee table book just of doors and windows and the meals behind those doors & windows. Doesn’t that sound heavenly?

I just want to experience and drink in everything that I can. I want each meal time to matter. My husband laughs at me and my funny dream world. He also finds it kind of frustrating when I want to try everything on the menu. I’m a taster… I want one or two bites of everything. I don’t need a whole plate of one main dish, how boring is that? I want to experience the high notes of a vinegary salad along with the low notes of the rustic artisan bread. I’m the same way with desserts. Don’t give me a bowl full of a brownie sunday, I want to taste a little bite of everything you’ve got! I want the meal to tell me a story.

Recently, I was lucky enough to try the new GODIVA Truffle Flight™ and I have to say, that is my kind of sweet treat!

This is a sweet treat that tells a story. Each box comes with 6 fine truffles, each with a role to play. I had the chance to try the GODIVA Ultimate Dessert Truffle Flight™ and it was an experience for sure.

As with any good book, you would never start in the middle of the story. You start from the beginning, savoring every moment. The introduction of the characters, the slow build to the climax of the story with the happy ever after at the end. The same holds true with the Truffle Flight™. You start at the left side of the box and slowly move your way to the end of the box, savoring the story along the way. If you are a sweet person, you may even share this experience with a friend.

GODIVA has been thrilling taste buds for over 85 years. Started in Brussels Belgium GODIVA has grown to be a global leader in the chocolate world. The chocolatiers at GODIVA have come up with something truly unique with the Truffle Flight™ gift box. There are six different stories to indulge in…

The six Truffle Flight Collections include:

Nut Lovers Truffle Flight^TM: Salted Almond, Hazelnut Crunch, Pecan Caramel, Butterscotch Walnut, Maple Walnut, Pistachio.
Dark Decadence Truffle Flight^TM: Dark Vanilla Mousse, Chocolate Soufflé, 50% Dark Chocolate, Chocolate Lava Cake, 72% Extra Dark Chocolate, Aztec Spice
Heavenly Mousse Truffle Flight^TM: Dark Vanilla Mousse, Milk Chocolate Mousse, Strawberry Mousse, Lemon Mousse, Peach Mousse and Café Au Lait Mousse
Cake Truffle Flight^TM: Birthday Cake, Pineapple Hummingbird Cake, Cheesecake, Red Velvet Cake, Chocolate Lava Cake, Lemon Chiffon Cake.
Ultimate Dessert Truffle Flight^TM: Chocolate Éclair, Crème Brulee, Red Velvet Cake, Chocolate Lava Cake, Tiramisu, Strawberry Crème Tarte
Milk Chocolate Lovers Truffle Flight^TM: Chocolate Éclair, Milk Chocolate Mousse, Milk Chocolate, Butterscotch Walnut, Salted Almond, Hazelnut Crunch.
You can visit any GODIVA Boutique nationwide or online at Godiva.com/truffles to be whisked away on a magical flight of your very own! Don’t forget your friends along the way… This would be a perfect little gift for your friends and loved ones as well.

I participated in this post on behalf of Burst Media. I was compensated for my time and commitment, but all opinions are my own. This post is sponsored by GODIVA.

Product Review

Minty Muddy Chex® Party Mix Ingredients

Minty Muddy Chex® Party Mix Directions

Gilgamesh Oatmeal Ingredients

Gilgamesh Oatmeal Directions

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