Me and My Pink Mixer

Hello Monday

2012-06-04T05:03:00.001-04:00

Hello favorite funny pic of the weekend.
I LOVE this!
Thanks Anngela :)

Hello cookbooks.
Oh how I look forward to some down time with you all.

Hello pretty John Deere Gator.

Hello new lunch bag from a special friend.
You are too cute!

Hello Senior Awards Day.
Hello to Senior Superlative awards of Most School Spirit and Worst Case of Senioritis for Madison - HA!

Hello to girlfriends that celebrate birthdays with you <3

Hello favorite snacks.

Hello to a busy, busy week full of out of town relatives, lots of baking, graduation ceremonies, graduation parties, lots of friends and probably a few tears.

Hope you all have a fabulous week!

Linking up to Hello Monday with Lisa Leonard.

Blueberry Cornbread

2012-06-01T21:03:00.004-04:00

Wow how did this week go by so fast?! I've been so busy I almost forgot to post one of my new favorite recipes.

We are in full graduation party mode around here - only one week until our baby girl graduates from high school!! I'm not quite freaking out yet, but I'm sure the tears will be flowing next Saturday morning!

Until then let's talk about blueberries and cornbread. Not a likely combination, but oh so good.
I first tried it at Whole Foods a couple of months ago and thought it was quite tasty, but I knew a homemade version would be so much better and I was right. It was the perfect side to go along with my lunch time salad several times last week.

Wish me luck this week getting ready for this party and all of the emotions that go along with graduation ceremonies. Not to mention her moving out and going to college in a couple of months. Oh my.....

Blueberry Cornbread

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal (I used Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain)

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed

Coat an 8 inch bake dish with cooking spray or butter.

In a bowl, beat eggs, buttermilk and butter to blend. In another bowl, mix flours, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Stir flour mixture into egg mixture just until evenly moistened. Gently fold in berries.

Pour mixture into a greased 8 inch bake dish.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until done.

Cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, then cut into squares.

Enjoy!

Recipe slightly adapted from A Cozy Kitchen

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Hello Monday

2012-05-21T05:00:00.000-04:00

Hello to a Costco run for a 7 lb. bag of confectioners sugar.

Hello to mini lemon cupcakes I made for a wedding on Saturday.

Hello to mini peanut butter cupcakes too.

Hello best friends and your pretty prom hair.

Hello cute prom dates :)

Hello to living in the country where you go to the prom on a hay wagon :)

Hello high school friends and the memories you all have made together.

Hello to a beautiful evening.

Hello to volunteering for the after-prom party and staying up until 3:30 p.m.

Hello to delivering more cupcakes for a baby shower on Sunday.

Hello to a fabulous, but exhausting weekend!

Hello friends.

Thanks for sharing my weekend.

Hope yours was wonderful too :)

Linking up with Lisa Leonard and Hello Monday.

The New and Improved Food Lion & A Giveaway!

2012-05-13T20:49:00.003-04:00

I was recently invited to participate in a Food Lion ambassador program to check out the new and improved Food Lion stores and to let my readers know what I thought.

This program sparked my interest because I normally do not do my family grocery shopping at Food Lion.

I've had an MVP card for years, but I rarely ever use it.

Our grocery shopping is divided between Martin's and Wal-mart.

I purchase fruit and produce at Martin's because they have a really nice selection of organics
and Wal-Mart for our staple items. They seem to be less expensive for those type of items.

I was excited to receive my program package, so I could make my Food Lion comparison.

I love fun mail days :)

This is what was inside the box.

A wooden recipe box with several recipes, Food Lion Reusable Shopping Bag, spatula, oven mitt, wood cutting board, a super cute lion cookie cutter and a $150 gift card.

Let's go shopping and check them out.

The produce section was very inviting.

I just wish they carried more organic fruits and veggies.

The cart gives the store a little farmer's market feel.

I liked it.

The store was very clean and inviting.

I was pleasantly surprised.

Food Lion's "my essentials" program promises you their lowest prices on the items you buy most.

I found the pricing on these items to be very competitive.

I often buy whipped topping for desserts that I make.

The Food Lion price was LOWER than Wal-mart.

Love those buy one get one free deals too :)

I always keep a jar or two of sauce in my pantry for a quick dinner, such as Skinny Chicken Parmesan.

Skinny Chicken Parmesan

4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin

olive oil

salt and pepper

italian seasoning

4 slices provolone or mozzarella cheese

parmesan cheese, if desired

1 jar marinara sauce

whole wheat pasta

Place chicken breasts on a plate. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and italian seasoning.

In a large pan, over medium heat, saute chicken breasts until done.

While chicken is cooking, place pasta in boiling water and cook until al dente.

In a glass bake dish sprayed with cooking spray add 1 cup of marinara sauce.

Place cooked chicken breasts on top of marinara sauce and add a slice of provolone cheese onto

each chicken breast. Place under oven broiler until cheese has melted.

Spoon pasta on each plate and top with chicken and cheese.

Add additional sauce and parmesan cheese if desired.

Overall I was very impressed with the changes that Food Lion has made and will probably shop there more often, especially when I don't want to deal with the craziness of Wally World!

How would you like to win a $50 Food Lion gift card so that you can make your own comparison?

Just leave a comment on this post telling me what you would purchase from the new and improved Food Lion. The contest is open to U.S. readers over the age of 18 and ends May 15th at 12:00 p.m. EST

Extra entries (leave a comment for each extra entry)

Like Me and My Pink Mixer on Facebook.

Follow Me and My Pink Mixer on Twitter.

Follow Me and My Pink Mixer on Google Friend Connect (sidebar)

Good luck!

This giveaway is now closed.

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central for Food Lion. I received a gift card and product kit to facilitate my review.”

Hello Monday

2012-05-07T21:15:00.001-04:00

Hello Cara Cara Power Oranges.

You are so tasty and refreshing each morning.

Hello to my Dad's morning McDonald's friends.

They are starting the day off right with MY cupcakes :)

Hello free little basil seedlings.

I can't wait until you have grown big enough to add to my pasta :)

Hello Number 19.

You were not scared of me and my camera at all were you?

Hello to packing my lunch for work each day.

Pretty healthy except for that Diet Coke don't ya think.

Hello senior girls.

I can not believe you all will graduate from high school in ONE month!!!

Hello sweet friends.

I hope you have a fabulous week!!!

Linking up with Lisa Leonard and Hello Monday.

Mini Oreo Cupcakes

2012-05-02T22:33:00.000-04:00

The company I work for hosted an oreo bake-off to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the oreo cookie.

You could make anything you wanted as long as oreo cookies were the star of the recipe.

I made cupcakes because you all know what a cupcake fanatic I am :)

There were so many yummy desserts we all went into a sugar coma that afternoon!!

Aren't these ladybug oreos adorable!!

And check out these golden oreo truffles - so colorful.

I work with a bunch of talented people!

I used my pampered chef mini muffin pan to make the cupcakes.

The mini oreo cookies are usually available in the checkout aisle at Wal-Mart.

They're called Nabisco Go-Paks. I purchased 2 containers for all of the mini cupcakes I made.

Mini Oreo Cupcakes

1 Box Devil's Food Cake Mix

4 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/3 C canola oil

Oreo Cookies, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line mini muffin pan with paper liners (I got these a Michael's).

Place a few chopped oreo cookies into the bottom of each liner.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all cake ingredients and mix until well blended.

I use my small Pampered Chef cookie scoop to place one scoop of batter into each cup.

Bake for 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Place on a rack to cool.

Now let's make some Buttercream frosting!

Vanilla Buttercream

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 cups confectioners sugar

1 T milk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In the bowl of your stand mixer add butter and mix for about 1 minute.

Add confectioners sugar one cup at a time.

Add milk and vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy.

Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. I use a Wilton 1M tip to frost mine.

Place some cookies into your food processor or magic bullet and blend until you have fine crumbs.

Sprinkle onto frosting and top with a mini oreo cookie.

Makes about 84 mini cupcakes.

Hope you have lots of friends to help you eat them :)

Enjoy!

Green Giant Frozen Vegetables & a Giveaway

2012-04-29T20:35:00.001-04:00

Have you had your veggies today?

Whether you're striving to watch your weight or simply helping your family to add more vegetables in their meals, with a little help from Green Giant® finding a delicious way to mix up your diet routine can be easy and convenient! Available in a wide variety of flavors, there are nearly 30 varieties of Green Giant® frozen boxed vegetables endorsed by Weight Watchers®, including offering that feature decadent sauces and tasty seasonings.

Click here to download quick and delicious recipes that incorporate Weight Watchers® endorsed Green Giant Boxed Vegetables, with most coming in between only a 1 and 4 Weight Watchers® PointsPlus® value per serving - from "Broccoli and Chicken Topped Potatoes" to "Quick Corn and Black Bean Soup," this wide array is sure to satisfy every member of your family.

Want a coupon?
Visit http://bit.ly/greengiantcoupon to download a printable coupon for $0.60 off the purchase of two boxes of Weight Watchers® endorsed Green Giant Boxed Vegetables.
Garden Vegetable Medley is my favorite!

Thanks to My Blog Spark, I received a gift pack with a coupon for a FREE box of Weight Watchers endorsed Green Giant boxed vegetables, water bottle, lunch bag, mini nutrition tracker, Lunch to Go kit, Solar Powered Pedometer and a mini ice pack.

Would you like one too?

I'll be giving away one gift pack just like the one I received.
Here's how to enter:

Mandatory Entry:

Leave a comment telling me your favorite Green Giant boxed veggie.

Extra Entries (You must leave a comment for each extra entry)

Become a follower of Me and My Pink Mixer on Google Friend Connect (on sidebar)
Follow Me and My Pink Mixer and Green Giant on Twitter.
Tweet about the giveaway.
Follow Me and My Pink Mixer on Facebook.
Follow Green Giant on Facebook.
Follow Me and My Pink Mixer by email (on sidebar)

Giveaway ends May 6th at 12:00 midnight EST.

Good luck!

Contest is now closed.

"Disclosure: The coupons, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by Green Giant® and Weight Watchers® through MyBlogSpark."

Banana Creme Pie Cupcakes

2012-04-26T21:51:00.000-04:00

I had a coupon for the new Betty Crocker Fun da Middles cupcake mix, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity for me to try a new cupcake flavor. Have you seen this mix in your grocery store?

At $2.50 a box for 12 cupcakes, I think it's a little pricey for a box mix, but I had the coupon so I decided to give it a try. The cupcakes themselves were tasty, but I wasn't crazy about the filling.
Next time I make this flavor I will buy a regular box of yellow cake mix and make the filling myself.

Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes

from Betty Crocker

Cupcakes:

Betty Crocker Fun da-Middles yellow cupcake mix

3/4 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1/2 box (3.4 oz) banana cream instant pudding and pie filling

12 vanilla wafer cookies

Frosting:

1 cup butter, softened

4 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 box (3.4 oz) banana cream instant pudding and pie filling

3 T whipping cream ( I used whole milk)

1 T vanilla

2 tsp. banana extract

Garnish:

1/4 gramham cracker crumbs (I used the vanilla wafers)

12 vanilla wafer cookies (I used the minis)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 1 vanilla wafer cookie in bottom of each cupcake liner.

Make cupcake batter as directed on cupcake mix box, adding 1/2 box of pudding mix. (Other half will be used in frosting)

Fill cups as directed on the box. Bake and cool cupcakes.

In a medium bowl, beat frosting ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.

Frost cooled cupcakes.

Sprinkle tops with graham cracker crumbs; top each with one cookie.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake

2012-04-22T21:23:00.000-04:00

I like Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt and I can not lie.
You other cakes can't deny....

Okay - sorry about that, but I just couldn't resist.
The word bundt just makes me think of that song :)

I haven't made a bundt cake forever.
My mom used to make them a lot, especially on Sunday.
My brothers and I couldn't wait to get home from church so we could have lunch and then dive into one of
her cakes with icing drizzled all over it.
So, so good.

Anyway - for some reason I felt like breaking out my bundt pan and chocolate with peanut butter is always a good combination, so I made Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt cake.

Now go find your bundt pan and make some cake!
I even made it easy on you and doctored up a box mix :)
Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake

1 box Devil's Food cake mix

1 cup sour cream

1 cup whole milk

3 large eggs

1 small (3.4 oz) box chocolate instant pudding and pie filling

1 cup mini Reeses cups, sliced in half (the kind in a bag without wrappers)

Glaze:

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup chocolate chips

1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the cake ingredients together, except for the Reeses cups.
Pour half of the batter into a bundt pan sprayed with cooking spray. Layer Reese cups all over the batter.
Top with the rest of the batter and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate to cool some more.

In a saucepan over medium low heat, combine the sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips.

Stir constantly until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Do NOT allow it to bubble.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool slightly before drizzling over cake. After glaze has cooled a little more, sprinle chopped Reeses cups on top.

Note - this makes ALOT of glaze. I only used about half. Use the rest to serve over ice cream or other dessert.

VitaTops and VitaBrownie Review

2012-04-18T06:00:00.006-04:00

Look what was at my front door when I got home from work a couple of days ago!
Vitaliciousness!!!

Have you ever tried them?
If not - you are missing out!

Vitatops and VitaBrownies are a delicious alternative to cookies and cakes at only 100 calories each.
They are high in fiber and low in fat - kind of like a healthy brownie!
How awesome is that!!

Not only are they good for you, but they taste pretty fantastic too.
I pack one in my lunch almost every day to curb that chocolate fix I always seem to need :)
I find them here locally in the freezer section of Martin's Grocery Store or you can purchase them online.

I no idea they had all of these fantastic flavor choices!
Banana Choco Chip, Deep Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip, Apple Crumb, Triple Chocolate Chunk, Blue Bran, Raisin Bran - just to name a few.
The chocolate ones are definitely my fave :)

I had never tried the brownies before.

They are perfect for dessert after dinner :)

Chocolate with no guilt - gotta love it!

To be completely honest - I'll have to say I loved, loved, loved doing this review.

I have absolutely nothing but good things to say about Vitalicious.

Tasty treats that are good for you.

The end.

Note - Vitalicious sent me samples for this review, but I was not compensated in any way.

All opinions are my own.

And I loved them.

Just sayin'.

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Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

2012-04-14T22:14:00.002-04:00

Hi there!
Me and my pink mixer have been at it again.
We made cupcakes.

That's how we roll around here.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 cup Strawberry Preserves

4 cups powdered sugar

Beat butter with an electric mixer for 3 minutes. Add vanilla extract and beat for another minute.

Add strawberry preserves and beat for 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar a half cup at a time and then beat for another 2-3 minutes. Frost cooled cake or cupcakes.

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Linking to:
Made By You Monday
Celebrations at Home

Cooking With Country Crock

2012-04-12T21:00:00.001-04:00

This post is sponsored by Country Crock. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

My daughter has always been a picky eater.
Always.
So I had to become one of those sneaky moms when it came to cooking.
Ground flax seed in the pancake batter.
Mashed black beans in the brownies.
Pureed spinach mixed with spaghetti sauce.
Yep - I tried it all.
It was my duty as her mom to make sure healthy foods got into her little body right?

Well she is a teenager now, so I don't have to be quite as sneaky, but I still enjoy making healthy meals that look nice. After downloading my free copy of the Clair Crespo Cookbook, I found lots of creative ways to serve more veggies to my family. Each recipe uses a little Country Crock Spread to make the veggies extra tasty too. Did you know that Country Crock has 70% less fat and 30% fewer calories than butter? It also has zero transfats. Got to love that!

After browsing through the recipes in Clair Crespo's Cookbook, I decided to make Pasta Full of Posies (page 29) and Beautiful Butterflys (page 27) for dinner. Such a spring like meal :)

Pasta Full of Posies

2 yellow and/or orange bell peppers

1 (16 oz) pkg. whole wheat penne pasta (I used Rotini)

3 T Country Crock Spread

1 T olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

5 cherry tomatoes

7 basil or spinach leaves

Chop off top and bottom of peppers. Slice them down the side, remove the seeds and lay pepper flat.

Cut into petal shapes. Boil pasta according to package directions; drain.

Melt Country Crock Spread and heat olive oil on the stove over medium heat in a pan big enough to hold pasta. Cook garlic and peppers together for about 5 minutes. With tongs, remove pepper petals and set aside.

Add pasta and cheese to garlic and toss together. Put the pasta in a shallow serving dish. Arrange tomato halves on top and surround them with pepper petals to make "flowers". Add a basil or baby spinach leaf to each flower.

Beautiful Butterflies

6 small or medium crookneck squash

3 T Country Crock Spread

2 T finely chopped garlic

12 baby carrots

4 chives, cut into 24 1/2 pieces (I used rosemary)

2 T finely chopped assorted fresh herbs

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

Slive fat part of squash into 24 slices. Melt Country Crock Spread in large skillet. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add squash nd carrots, saute until tender, about 7 minutes.

Arrange carrots on serving dish or individual plates. Place 2 squash rounds on either side of carrots. Using a toothpick, poke two holes in the tops of each carrot and insert chive pieces as "antennae".

Sprinkle remaining herbs on squash "wings". Add salt and pepper.

Be sure to follow Country Crock on Facebook and Twitter!

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Are you looking for quick and simple tips and recipes to make serving veggies more fun? Download the free Clare Crespo Cookbook here for fun and whimsical recipes your family is sure to love!

Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries

2012-04-10T06:27:00.003-04:00

If you are a regular reader of my little blog, you know how much I love oatmeal.
I eat it every morning.
I'm not kidding.
A sliced orange and oatmeal with a spoonful of almond butter and a dash of almond milk.
The end.

Until my mid-morning snack of course :)

Anyway enough about me.
We had a carry in breakfast after the sunrise service at my church on Easter Sunday, so this was the perfect opportunity for me to try a new baked oatmeal recipe.
The combination of the oats, blueberries, bananas and walnuts is delish!!
This recipe is definitely a keeper!

The bake dish came home empty.
Guess there are other oatmeal lovers in the world too :)

Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries

2 cups rolled oats (not instant)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups milk

1 egg

3 T butter, melted and cooled, divided

2 tsp. vanilla

2 medium ripe bananas, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 1/2 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8 x 8 baking dish (or a dish of a similar size).

In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, walnuts, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg. half of the melted butter and vanilla.

Arrange the banana slices and about 2/3 of the berries in the bottom of the bake dish.

Cover with the oat mixture. Pour the wet ingredients evenly over the oats, pressing the oats down a bit if necessary to make sure they are evenly moistened. Sprinkle the remaining berries over the top.

Sprinkle a little raw sugar on top if desired.

Bake until the oatmeal is set and lightly golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes. Serve with the remaining 1 1/2 T melted butter drizzle over the top.

Enjoy!

recipe from shaunasever.com

Note - To toast walnuts, arrange chopped nuts on a baking sheet in a single layer. Place in a 350 degree oven for 8 - 10 minutes.

Toss once or twice during the bake time. Check frequently so they don't burn.

Hello Monday

2012-04-09T06:00:00.021-04:00

Hello morning walks with Biscuit.

He loves our time together :)

Hello Diet Coke.

You make my morning drive to work so much happier.

Hello Easter basket.

The Easter bunny still brings a basket to our 18 year old and he hides it too.

Does your Easter bunny hide the basket??

Hello to cousins going to church sunrise service together.

Hello to a game of wiffle ball after a huge Easter lunch at Nana and Pawpaw's house.

Hello to our teenager inviting us on a hike.

Just the 3 of us.

No other friends.

Just us three!

Life is full of surprises :)

What did you say hello to this week?

Linking up to Hello Monday with Lisa Leonard.

Route 11 Potato Chip Review & a Recipe

2012-04-03T06:06:00.002-04:00

Have you tried Route 11 Potato Chips?
Oh my gosh are they delish!
Believe it or not - this potato chip company is only a half an hour away from my house and the first time I had their chips was about two months ago!
How did I not know about this crunchy deliciousness all my life??????

Route 11 Potato Chips offer fabulous flavors like Dill Pickle, Yukon Gold, Chesapeake Crab, Sweet Potato and Mama Zuma's Revenge. Of course they have the classics like Barbeque, Lightly Salted and Sour Cream and Chive too.

They sent me bags of each flavor to try and boy did I love sampling them :)
Sweet Potato is my fav!!

Potato Chips are a nice treat for a snack or to add some crunch to go along with you sandwich for lunch, but did you know you can crush them and use them as breading for chicken too? Give it a try - it's delish!

Click HERE to find out where you can find Route 11 chips and follow them on Facebook too.

Chesapeake Crab, Sweet Potato, Dill Pickle, Salt 'n Vinegar

Barbeque, Lightly Salted, Mama Zuma's Revenge and Sour Cream 'N Chive

Potato Chip Crusted Chicken

recipe from Paula Deen Magazine

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 1/2 cups crushed potato chips

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tsp. dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a shallow bowl whisk the milk and egg together.

In another shallow bowl, combine the crushed chips, parmesan cheese, basil, salt and pepper.

Dip the chicken breasts into the milk mixture and then dredge in the potato chips.

Place on your baking sheet and bake 25-30 minutes or until done.

Enjoy!

Note - Route 11 Potato Chips sent me the chips for this review, but I was not compensated in any way.

All opinions are my own.

Hello Monday

2012-04-02T02:00:00.015-04:00

Hello to college decisions for our daughter Madison.

She decided on James Madison University and will begin classes this fall.

We are so proud of her.

We are excited for what is to come, but sad too.

She grew up way too fast.

Hello to painting my craft room from hell.

I ripped off the ugly wallpaper and am looking forward to a new organized space!

Hello Reeses eggs.

You are by far my favorite Easter candy.

It's nice to see Wal-mart is well stocked :)

Hello new cookbooks.

Oh how I love a new book! Especially ones filled with delicious treats :)

Hello to painting our cornhole boards JMU purple and gold.

Got to get them ready for the graduation party in June.

Hello cows.

Hello to Sunday visits with my parents on the farm :)

Hello April.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

Linking up to Hello Monday with Lisa Leonard.

COOL WHIP Everyday Desserts

2012-03-30T07:00:00.003-04:00

..
Woo Hoo - spring is here! I'm loving the warmer temperatures we are having here in Virginia!
Pretty weather puts me in the mood to make dessert.
Who am I kidding?? I like making dessert no matter what the temperature is - HA!

I'm not into making elaborate recipes with ingredients lists that are hard to find.
I like making everyday desserts that I know most everyone will enjoy.

COOL WHIP Whipped Topping is a staple in many of my desserts.
COOL WHIP is convenient, easy to find and makes everyday desserts more special.

I remember coming home from school when I was young and my mom would have pudding with
COOL WHIP for our snack. Not the instant pudding kind either! Pudding cooked on the stove!
A spoonful of COOL WHIP made it even better!
My brothers and I may or may not have just dived into the COOL WHIP with a spoon too :)

She would also make us Jell-O Poke cake with a yummy COOL WHIP frosting, which inspired these cupcakes I made a few months ago. You can find the recipe HERE.

Anyway, I love this frosting so much I thought I would share another recipe with a very similar COOL WHIP frosting. This would be nice refreshing dessert on a warm spring day. Enjoy!

Mandarin Orange Cake

Cake:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 can (11oz.) mandarin oranges, diced but not drained

4 eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

Frosting:

1 small box vanilla instant pudding

1 small container (13 oz.) COOL WHIP

1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Mix all of the cake ingredients together in a large bowl with an electric mixer.

Pour into your greased pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool cake completely before frosting.

For the frosting - In a large bowl mix the pudding and pineapple together with a spoon. Fold in the COOL WHIP until well blended. It may take a while. You can do it :)

Frost the cooled cake. Keep frosted cake refrigerated.

Note - This cake is even better made a day or two before you are going to serve it.

I would love to hear how COOL WHIP makes your everyday desserts even better.

Feel free to email me any recipes you would like to share!

Happy Spring!!

Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that we are pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor. Advertisers do not produce the content.I was compensated for this post as a member of Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all my own.

Strawberry Pineapple Pretzel Dessert

2012-03-22T19:56:00.010-04:00

You will find this dish at pretty much every country church potluck or family reunion here in Virginia.
It's been around forever!
Some people call it Strawberry Pretzel salad, but I have no idea why because it is definitely more of a dessert than a salad. It's kind of like a no-bake cheesecake with jell-o, if that makes sense.

No matter what you call it - this sweet and salty combination is nothing but fantastic!
Give it a try :)

Strawberry Pineapple Pretzel Dessert

Crust:
2 cups crushed pretzels (I used pretzel snaps - the little waffle type squares)
3/4 cup butter, melted
3 T sugar

Filling:
8 ounce creme cheese, softened
8 ounce container of whipped topping
3/4 cup sugar

Topping:
2 (3 ounce) packages of strawberry gelatin
2 cups boiling water
24 ounce container of frozen sliced strawberries (I let mine thaw in the fridge)
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple
whipped topping or whipped cream to garnish if you like

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place your pretzels in a ziplock freezer bag and crush them with a tent mallet - that's what I did anyway.
Don't pulverize them - you want there to be some larger pieces too.
In a medium bowl, mix the crushed pretzels, sugar and butter. Press them into a 9 x 13 inch pan and bake for 10 minutes. No longer than that. Let the crust completely cool before you add the next layer.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar. Fold in the whipped topping.
Spread over the cooled crust. Make sure you spread the mixture to the edges of the pan.
Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours before adding the top layer.

In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water, allowing it to cool slightly.
Add the strawberries (I drained some of the juice off first) and the pineapple to the gelatin.
Spoon over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for several hours for the gelatin to set.
I made mine the night before and let the gelatin set overnight and it was perfect.

Cut into slices and serve with whipped cream if desired.
Enjoy!

Linking to:
Serenity Now
Fireflies and Jellybeans
Tatertots and Jello
30 Handmade Days
Positively Splendid
New Nostalgia
Chef in Training

Hello Monday

2012-03-19T06:15:00.006-04:00

Hello newest yummy obsession.

Where have you been all my life?

Hello Pink Batman cupcakes.

I made these for the daughter of a co-worker this weekend.

She likes pink too.

Hello new Starbucks Venti cup.

I was so sad when my old cup broke, but I found you and life is good again.

Hello thrift store find of the week.

A PINK metal bubblegum machine!!!

We were made for each other :)

Hello mama's pansies.

My mom has the greenest thumb ever.

I did not inherit that trait :(

Hello to another warm week here in Virginia.

Love it!

Happy Monday Friends :)

Linking Up to Hello Monday with Lisa Leonard.

Cookie Dough Hummus

2012-03-11T16:50:00.018-04:00

When I spent the weekend with my girlfriends at the vineyard last month, we decided that we should each bring a snack to have with us while we were drinking wine and catching up. I decided to bring a sweet treat of course, but since Bekka and I are on a mission to get fit, I wanted my snack to be some what healthy.

Don't let the chickpeas in this recipe fool you.....this dip really tastes like cookie dough!
I paired it with Nature's Promise organic honey graham sticks for dipping, but I think it
would also be good with apple slices.

My friend Lindsay has been bugging me for the recipe, so this post is for her :)

Happy dipping Lindsay!

Cookie Dough Hummus

1 15.5 oz. can Chickpeas (drained)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup nut butter (I used almond butter)

3 T milk (I used soy)

2/3 cup brown sugar

3 T oats

1/3 cup chocolate chips

Add all ingredients (except chocolate chips) to a food processor.

Blend until very smooth. Pour into a bowl and fold in the chocolate chips.

Serve with graham cracker sticks.

Original recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie

Hello Monday

2012-03-05T06:03:00.003-05:00

Hello yellow daffodils popping up in my yard.

I am so happy to see you!

Hello fabulous colors of fabric.

Aqua + Red = Love

Hello favorite new tea.

Hello to my new adorable necklace from Simple Starfish.

Love it!

Today's Creative Blog was hosting a giveaway and I won!

Simple Starfish has beautiful hand stamped jewelry - you should check it out.

Hello new pillows from Ikea.

Hello Bruschetta Salad from Vito's.

You were delish!

Hello vintage Pyrex bowl.

I'm so happy I spotted you in the thrift store this weekend.

You make me happy :)

Hello to my nephew Peyton.

You look so handsome all decked out in your baseball uniform.

Hello to the first full week of March.

Hope you have a great one my sweet friends :)

Linking up to Hello Monday with Lisa Leonard.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

2012-02-28T21:03:00.004-05:00

Here are the cupcakes I made for my girl's weekend getaway at the winery.

You can't go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate when most women are involved, so I knew they would be a hit. I picked up the Reese Cup hearts in the Valentine's section at Target a couple weeks ago and thought I would use them for the toppers since I love my girlfriends with all my heart!!

Make these cupcakes for someone you love :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Cake:

1 Box Devil's Food Cake Mix

1 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup canola oil

3 eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

Peanut Butter Ganache:

1/3 cup peanut butter

2/3 cup milk chocolate chips

Peanut Butter Frosting:

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup peanut butter

4 - 5 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with 24 cupcake liners.

Whisk cake mix and cinnamon together in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla and sour cream.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients and mix until well blended.

Fill liners 3/4 full and bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Place on a rack to cool.

Ganache:

Melt peanut butter and chocolate chips in a small saucepan on low heat.

Once cupcakes have cooled dip the tops into the ganache and let it set before frosting.

I placed mine in the fridge for about 5 minutes to have it set faster.

Frosting:

Beat butter, cream cheese and peanut butter for 4 minutes. Scrape bowl as needed.

Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat for another minute or two.

If your frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar.

Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles and peanut butter chocolate hearts.

Yield 24 cupcakes.

Recipe from Your Cup of Cake

Liners are Reynolds Staybrite Baking Cups.

Linking To:

Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice at 733

The 36th Avenue

Fireflies and Jellybeans

Time Out For Women

Weekend Getaway with the Girls at Chateau Morrisette Winery

2012-02-27T22:25:00.003-05:00

This past weekend was so fun!

I went on an overnight getaway with eight girlfriends to celebrate three birthdays.

We loaded up the car and headed to Chateau Morrisette Winery located just off the the beautiful

Blue Ridge Parkway in Floyd County, VA.

After an almost three hour drive of talking and laughing we arrived at our destination.

It was freezing that day!

Thank goodness we had the wine to keep us warm :)

We went on a tour of the winery.

This is Bekka striking a pose in front of the wine barrels.

Saturday was her birthday. Happy Birthday Bek!

We also did a tasting of several of the Chateau Morrisette wines.

Our Dog Blue and Blushing Dog are my favorites!

You can bring your own snacks if you like, so we spent hours there snacking,

talking, laughing and enjoying some delicious wine.

Girlfriends are the best!!

This was our tour guide and tasting host.

She was so nice and fun too!

After all the fun at the winery we headed across the road to our cabin at

Conner Mountain Retreat.

Our cabin was so cozy and adorable!!

We wanted to take this stove home with us!

We spent the rest of the night playing games, making dinner, laughing our heads off

and just having a fantastic time!!

Oh, and we ate cupcakes.

(I'll post the recipe some time this week)

If you are looking for a Virginia Winery to tour, you should definitely make

Chateau Morrisette one of your destinations.

We had a blast!

Toast to the Red Carpet - LIVE!

2012-02-23T16:00:00.002-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Toast to the Red Carpet – LIVE, presented by I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! is inviting you to an online red carpet viewing party. They will be streaming the event live to their Facebook page on February 26, 2012 from 3 pm - 4:30 pm PST.

Join in for an exclusive roundtable of Hollywood stars and special guests giving us the low down on what is happening on the red carpet LIVE.

Don't you just love watching all the stars walk down the red carpet!

I love to see their stunning dresses, beautiful hairstyles and checking out their dates for the event.

The awards ceremony is also a great excuse to have a party at your house!

You can find some awesome recipes on their Facebook page too.

I'm thinking the Brie and Spicy Apple Chutney on Baguette sounds delish!

I can't wait to try the recipe!

I'll be snacking on some Chili Parmesan Popcorn and Peanuts during the show.

Here's the recipe so we can snack together :)

Chili Parmesan Popcorn and Peanuts

18 cups popped popcorn

1/4 cup I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spread

2 T chili powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 cup dry roasted peanuts

2 T grated Parmesan Cheese

Put popcorn in large bowl. In small bowl, combine melted I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spread, chili powder and salt; drizzle over popcorn and toss until evenly coated. Add peanuts and cheese; toss.

Enjoy!

Now for a giveaway!

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! is offering one of my sweet readers a free tub of their product!

All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me why you are going to watch the Toast to the Red Carpet - LIVE and interact online during the Toast to the Red Carpet - LIVE online show on the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Facebook page. A winner will be chosen on February 26th. All comments must be submitted before 11:50 pm EST on the 26th. The giveaway item is provided by I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! per FTC guidelines.

Hope you enjoy the show!

Chobani Review and Homemade Fro Yo

2012-02-19T19:23:00.003-05:00

Look what arrived at my front door this week!

I love good mail days!
And I love Chobani yogurt!

Have you tried it yet?
If not, you should.
It is the BEST greek yogurt EVER!!

Not only does Chobani taste great, but it is made with only natural ingredients, has no preservatives, no artificial flavors AND it has twice the protein of regular yogurt.

I love it because it is a great source of calcium, it is VERY filling and tastes so, so good.
For those of you counting Weight Watcher points with me - a 6 oz. container is 4 points +.

I decided to make an extra special treat this weekend.
Fro Yo :)

Here is what you need.

Frozen Vanilla Yogurt

3 cups Chobani Greek Yogurt (plain or vanilla)
1/2 C Agave or 3/4 C sugar
1 T vanilla extract (less or none if you are using vanilla yogurt)

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
Freeze according to your ice cream makers instructions.
I have a Cuisinart, so I just turned on the mixer, poured in the ingredients and let it do it's thing.
In about 25 minutes I had frozen yogurt!

I'm storing mine in a Ziploc freezer container.
But it probably won't last too long :)

Happy Sunday!

Note - Chobani sent me the box of assorted yogurts to review. All opinions are my own.

Linking To:
Made By You Mondays