Makin' it Mo' Betta

A Hot Breakfast in Minutes (& under 300 calories!) {spon}

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Mon, 20 May 2013 02:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Jimmy Dean Delights. All opinions are 100% mine.

Yes, it can be done! Thanks to Jimmy Dean Delights I can send my family out the door having had a nice, hot breakfast sandwich including a honey wheat english muffin, canadian bacon, egg whites and cheese!

Yep, all for 210 calories. Unless you are like me, and always add jelly to your english muffin sandwiches. Does anyone else do this?! These can go from the freezer to your plate in less than 5 minutes! So, even if we are running late (which is often), we can still have a good breakfast.

I don't know what your mornings are like, but mine are always hectic. With 3 kids to get out the door (all to different places, at different times), our mornings are full of scrambling around looking for books, shoes, favorite outfits, etc. Or in the case of my 5 year old, it's trying to pry him out of bed in time to have breakfast and get dressed. I can't tell you how many times he has gone to pre-school with bed head!

Of course, even if your mornings are not spent running around, these breakfast sandwiches are still a good choice. I bought a big box of 12 from Sam's Club, and each are individually wrapped, so if you like to wait and have breakfast once you get into work, you could grab one on the way out the door and microwave it once you get there. Sam's is also offering demos of the new Jimmy Dean Delights from June 15th to July 1st, so you could sample before you buy. My Sam's didn't have a demo going on when I was there, but I knew my girls and I would enjoy these, and Jimmy Dean products haven't let me down yet.

It's nice to have a quick, yet filling breakfast alternative to cold cereal AND keep the calorie counts in check. And since I like breakfast food at any time during the day, these make a low calorie lunch option too!

What is your morning routine like? Crazy? Calm and leisurely? (If it's the later, please tell me your secret!)

PS, Don't forget the cake!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Private Selection for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It's no secret that dessert is my favorite meal of the day (and chocolate is my favorite food group...it's nice in my world, you should come join me), but I don't always have time to make dessert from scratch. Whether you are a stay-at-home mom, a working mother, have fur babies, or no babies...life.is.busy. It's just a fact Jack. That's why it is nice to have some secret time saving tricks up your sleeve...or in your pantry, in this case.

Let me introduce you to Private Selection™ Upside Down Cakes (if you haven't already made their aquaintence). These cakes can make it to the table in three simple steps – warm, flip, and serve – it's that easy! These aren't just any cakes either, I'm talking German Chocolate Fudge (pictured at top), with the classic and irresistible combination of gooey caramel, pecans and coconut; Double Chocolate Molten Cake, made with real butter, eggs, milk, and quality semi-sweet chocolate; and Amber Honey Apple Spice, topped with apple slices and drenched in a sweet amber honey glaze. Drool.

Can you imagine the look on everyone's face when you whip out one of these fabulous desserts? With the convenience of Private Selection™ Upside Down Cakes, you could have one on an average Wednesday, or with their decadence, you could serve it up at a dinner party. Private Selection Upside Down Cakes are premium quality products, without the premium price. All you need is to have access to the Kroger Family of Stores or affiliated stores (Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Fry’s, Gerbes, Pay Less, QFC, JayC, King Soopers, Owen’s, Ralphs, Smith’s and Fred Meyer.) The Private Selection brand is a premium private label brand carried exclusively by these stores. (Check out the store locator to find one near you.)

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Disclaimer: Coupon ends 6/2/13. Official Rules. In order to load these coupons to your card, you will need to sign into your Kroger account or set up a Kroger account and enter your card number. Limit one use per digital coupon. Digital offers are not eligible on Manager's Specials, cannot be combined with manufacturer paper coupons on the purchase of a single item, and do not double. Not all items are available in all stores. A limit of 150 coupons can be loaded per household at one time.

Life IS busy....

PS, Don't forget the cake!

Copycat Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:01:00 +0000

I'll admit, I've been somewhat obsessed with copycat recipes of late. I'm not sure if it is because I live so far from restaurants now, or because I just want to see if I can replicate restaurant food at home. I imagine it's a little of both! This particular salad is my husband's favorite thing from Applebee's Restaurant, so I wanted to give it a try. There are several versions of the recipe on line, but I based mine off of one from Mandy's Recipe Box.

Looks good, right?!

What's even better...it is very easy to put together with some pre-packaged items from the grocery store.

Copycat Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad

from Mandy's Recipe Box

For the Dressing -

3 Tablespoons honey

1 1/2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

1/4 cup mayonnaise (*I use Hellman's with Olive Oil)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

For the Salad -

6 crispy chicken strips, cooked

Pre-packaged salad mix (w/romaine lettuce, carrots, and cabbage)

Pre-packaged coleslaw mix

3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted (I used toasted sesame seeds)

1 cup Chow Mein noodles

Directions -

For the Dressing

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Refrigerate while preparing salad.

For the Salad

Cut chicken strips into bite size pieces. Set aside.

Mix together about half the bag of each of the pre-packaged salad and coleslaw mixes.

Top with cut up chicken, almonds & Chow Mein noodles.

Drizzle the dressing on top, to taste.

Makes approx. 3 large salads

You can make as much or as little as you want by altering the amounts of salad used. The amount of dressing used per salad is such an individual preference, so you may need more or less. The amount listed was enough for 3 salads (a dinner sized salad entree) for us, but my husband said he would have liked more dressing (he likes a lot, where I like just a little!)

I added mandarin oranges to my salad, and I used toasted sesame seeds in the place of almonds, just because I love them!

This was a convenient, filling and delicious salad, and I can't wait to tackle my next copycat recipe! So far, I've tried Copycat Chick-fil-a Chicken, Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana, and Chili's Monterey Chicken.

Have you got a restaurant favorite that you make at home? I'd love to hear about it!

I'm linking up this recipe over at - (Wednesday) Fluster Buster, Semi Homemade Mom, Adorned from Above, Lady Behind the Curtain, Ginger Snap Crafts, Hungry Little Girl, Naptime is My Time, Bloom Designs, Cherished Handmade Treasures (Thursday) Project Inspire ,Joyful Homemaking, Designed Decor, Taste and Tell, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, The Mandatory Mooch, The Busy Bee's, (Friday) Not Your Ordinary Recipes, Simple Living and Eating, Just Us Four, Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hypo, Diana Rambles, The Better Baker,Craftionary, Mummy Deals, One Artsy Mama, The Best Blog Recipes, One Creative Mommy, Michelle's Tasty Creations, Close to Home, A Peek Into My Paradise (Saturday) Sassy Little Lady, Lemons for Lulu, Or So She Says..., Six Sisters' Stuff (Sunday) Mommy's Sweet Confessions

Chocolate Donut Holes

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:41:00 +0000

For Christmas, my sister gave me a basket full of goodies for the kitchen, including this cake pop pan...
(affiliate link, but this is the pan I have!)

For some reason, I haven't made cake pops yet...hello? what am I waiting for?! But I did use my pan the other day to make....donut holes! Munchkins if you are a DD fan.

Turns out, big black balls do not photograph all that well. Who knew? Thank goodness we had strawberries with our donuts (or is it doughnut?) ~~balls~~ holes.

Chocolate Donuts

adapted from Buns in my Oven, my changes in italics

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup stevia (for baking)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
6 tablespoons plain yogurt*
1/4 cup (skim) milk
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted*

For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons fat free half and half milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, stevia, sugar, cocoa powder,and baking soda.
In a separate bowl, beat together the vanilla, egg, yogurt, milk, and oil.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.
Spoon into your sprayed cake pop pan (or you can use a regular or mini donut pan, or mini muffin pan).
Bake for approx. 8 minutes (depending on what pan you are using) or until the tops spring back when you touch them. (You can't do this with the cake pop pan. I just stuck a toothpick in the hole in the top to see if it came out clean.)
Let the donuts cool in the pan before glazing.

To make the glaze:

I didn't read my directions and just mixed the ingredients together and dipped my donuts in. I think had I heated it as suggested, they would have gotten the nice crunchy glaze pictured in the original post. My glaze kind of soaked into the donut.
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar, milk, and vanilla until well combined. Remove from the heat. Dunk the donuts in the glaze and place on a wire rack to set.

*NOTES - I subbed out the sour cream for yogurt and the vegetable oil with coconut oil. Therefore, the texture of my donut was not nice and dense and cake-y...it was more light and sponge-y. Next time, I will throw some more fat in there :-) The flavor was very good however.

As you can see from the above pic, I had enough batter to make a few mini donuts as well. Everything is just better in mini size I think.

Happy Mother's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Sat, 11 May 2013 21:12:00 +0000

This Mama Wants Pizza! {GIVEAWAY} #spon

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:30:00 +0000

As obvious by the number of times pizza is on my blog, we love it! I've also mentioned several times that Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain is my go to store-bought pizza dough. (My favorite homemade crust is this one.) Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust is convenient, taste good, and has 16 grams of whole grains per serving. There are so many things you can do with pizza dough! The toppings are endless!

Want to give your mom breakfast in bed...or better yet, want to have your children make breakfast for you? How about this Breakfast Pizza!

Want to make the kids super happy? This Macaroni n'Cheese Pizza is a favorite around here -

(My store was out of the whole grain crust on this particular visit, so the pictured crust is the regular Pillsbury Pizza Crust. The whole grain has a better flavor in my opinion.)

Want to incorporate more fresh veggies?

It's easy to add spinach and arugula,

Fresh basil and peppers (it's easy to make a 'stuffed crust'!). Spinach or basil pesto makes an excellent topping for pizza too. Check out Pillsbury's Farmer's Market Pizza Ideas for more great ideas using spring produce!

I also love making pizza as a way to use up leftovers. You can take leftover chicken and turn it into Bacon Chicken Ranch or Barbecue Chicken Pizza.

or my favorite -

You can also get fancy and make a pizza roll, or a pizza braid. YUM. I'm getting hungry over here!

So, who else is craving pizza now?! Head over here to download a $1.50 off coupon, and then enter to win this awesome gift pack....

Your gift pack will contain:

A VIP coupon for one FREE Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain
15.5" Farberware Pizza Pan
Food Chopper with Storage Containers
Silicon-grip Oven Mitt
Retail Value: $64

Chopping some fresh veggies for your pizza will be faster and easier with the mini food chopper! Just enter to win via the rafflecopter form!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills and Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark. I received the above pictured prize pack, no other compensation was received.

Baked Bacon & Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:33:00 +0000

Are you looking for an easy and delicious Mother's Day breakfast or brunch idea? This makes a large casserole dish full of cheese-y scrambled eggs, topped with bacon. They are probably the best eggs I've ever had!

I've never thought about cooking eggs in the oven, except as part of a breakfast casserole (which we are quite fond of as evidenced by this, this and this!) - but these are basically scrambled eggs baked in the oven! Convenience...I love it. I originally got the idea from Finding Joy in My Kitchen when she posted her family's recipe for 'Christmas Eggs'. I decided I would make them for one of our many breakfast suppers. However, as per usual, I didn't bother to read all of the instructions prior to making the dish. I realized I was supposed to let the egg mixture sit overnight. Oops. Time for plan B - I Googled baked eggs and found another recipe at Cooks.com that did not require sitting overnight. I kind of merged the 2 recipes and came out with a delicious dinner, that did not require sitting overnight!

Baked Bacon & Eggs

1 dozen eggs (I like Eggland's Best)

1/2 cup milk (I use skim)

4 oz. plain yogurt (or sour cream)

1 package pre-cooked bacon (or about 10 slices regular or turkey bacon)

1 cup shredded cheese (your preference, I used a blend of cheddar and Monterey)

salt and pepper - to taste

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. (I omitted the salt since I was adding cheese and bacon.)

-In a large skillet, cook the eggs until set, but not cooked through (Side note - OR you can place your egg mixture into a greased 9x13 pan and place in oven, stirring occasionally so they cook evenly, until done. Approx. 15-30 mins. I opted to pre-cook mine.)

-Remove from the heat and allow eggs to cool. (I stuck mine in the fridge for a few minutes.)

-while eggs are cooling, cook bacon in microwave (if using the pre-cooked). Once done, crumble and set aside.

-When eggs are cool, stir in the yogurt (or sour cream if using).

-Spread the egg mixture into a greased/sprayed 9x13 dish.

-Top with crumbled bacon and cheese.

-Bake for 15-20 minutes until eggs are fully cooked and cheese is nice and melted.

I served ours with grits and biscuits. Delicious! I thought I would have leftovers since it was a dozen eggs for a family of 5 (and Mr. Three will not eat eggs), but nope...that casserole dish was wiped clean!

I'm linking this recipe up with (Wednesday) Fluster Buster, Semi Homemade Mom, Adorned from Above, Lady Behind the Curtain, Ginger Snap Crafts, Hungry Little Girl, Naptime is My Time, Bloom Designs, Cherished Handmade Treasures (Thursday) Project Inspire ,Joyful Homemaking, Designed Decor, Taste and Tell, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, The Mandatory Mooch, The Busy Bee's, (Friday) Not Your Ordinary Recipes, Simple Living and Eating, Just Us Four, Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hypo, Diana Rambles, The Better Baker,Craftionary, Mummy Deals, One Artsy Mama, The Best Blog Recipes, One Creative Mommy, Michelle's Tasty Creations, Close to Home (Saturday) Sassy Little Lady, Lemons for Lulu, Or So She Says..., Six Sisters' Stuff (Sunday) Mommy's Sweet Confessions

This recipe was given the spotlight! Thanks!

Get your Z's with ZzzQuil (#spon #ZzzQuilNight)

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Tue, 07 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of ZzzQuil for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Whose got time for occasional sleeplessness? Not me, and I'm betting you don't either. Every once in a while, I just can't fall asleep. I lay there, my brain telling me 'hey, you're tired, it's bedtime, go to sleep' and my body feeling like a tense wire that's about to snap and just won't relax. I get that restless leg thing going on at times too...I really hate that!

So when I had the opportunity to try the new ZzzQuil from the makers of NyQuil, I was all for it, because NyQuil is my "go to" cold medicine. ZzzQuil is by the makers of Vicks NyQuil, but it’s not for colds, it’s not for pain, it’s just for sleep. ZzzQuil’s active ingredient is diphenhydramine HCI which is non-habit forming, as well as safe and effective (when used according to package directions by adults and children 12 years and older). It comes in both liquid (Warming Berry flavor) and LiquiCap® forms. I tried the Warming Berry, and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. Even though I take Vicks NyQuil whenever I am sick, I've never been a fan of either flavor. The ZzzQuil has a better flavor, that gives you the same warming sensation. It also begins working very fast! I've taken this 3 different times, and each time, I could feel it start to work within minutes. My body just started to relax, and I was able to fall asleep quickly and easily. Also, it wasn't so sedating that I didn't wake up when my dog decided he had a bathroom emergency at 1am! With 3 kids (and 2 dogs), I want to be able to my rest, but not be so out of it that I can't respond to their needs. It also doesn't leave the "hungover, cotton mouth" feeling. Not that I know what a hangover feels like. *ahem*

Moving on...

Learn more by visiting the ZzzQuil website, give them a 'like' on Facebook, and follow along on Twitter. Why? BECAUSE SLEEP IS A BEAUTIFUL THING™!

Dorito Chicken Taco Bake

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Sat, 04 May 2013 12:06:00 +0000

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, and our love of Doritos, here is another casserole with a Mexican flair....covered in Doritos, of course :-)

Unlike the Chipotle Taco Bake, this one does not use crescent rolls and has chicken instead of beef.

Dorito Chicken Taco Bake

adapted from The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded

2 cups shredded Mexican Blend cheese (divided)

1 can cream of chicken soup (10 oz) I used this homemade version

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)

1 can Ro-tel tomatoes, drained

1/2 packet taco seasoning

1 large bag Doritos, coarsly crushed

Toppings (optional) - lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole

Pre-heat oven to 350.

In a large bowl mix together chicken, 1 cup of cheese, cream of chicken, milk, yogurt, Ro-tel tomatoes, and taco seasoning.

In a lightly sprayed 2-quart casserole dish, add a layer of crushed Doritos across the bottom. Top with half of chicken mixture. Add another layer of crushed Doritos, followed by the rest of the chicken mixture. Top with remaining cheese and Doritos.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until bubbling.

Remove from oven and top with toppings of choice, if desired.

Verdict? We love Doritos, so this was pretty good. However, I was not crazy about the Doritos on the bottom and middle of the casserole. They got kind of soggy and tasted like corn tortillas (which I don't like). Next time, I will bake it in a 9x13 casserole dish, and just put the Doritos on top. That is just a personal preference. I also think it would be fine to use the whole packet of taco seasoning instead of half.

If your family loves Doritos too, you may want to check out 'Ghetto Tacos' - my kids love this...it's basically a deconstructed taco that you eat with Doritos instead of a shell.

And for the perfect Cinco de Mayo dessert -

Margarita Cake of course!

(If it is cold and rainy where you are, like it is here, then you may be interested in something more along the lines of this Mexican Chicken and Rice Soup! It's MAY, where is my Spring weather?!)

I'm linking this post up with - The Jenny Evolution, Sassy Little Lady, Lemons for Lulu, Or So She Says..., Six Sisters' Stuff, Mommy's Sweet Confessions

My Experience with The Fast Metabolism Diet

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:49:00 +0000

You may have seen or heard about a new book The Fast Metabolism Diet by Haylie Pomroy. She was recently on the Dr. Oz show and is a celebrity nutritionist to stars like Reese Witherspoon (Do you know who I am?!), Jennifer Lopez and Robert Downey Jr. The book claims that you can lose up to 20 pounds in 28 days...without starving, without counting calories, and without crazy exercise. The cover says 'eat more food, lose more weight'.

Fact or Fiction?

Welllll....it's true that you do not have to count calories, you do not have to workout everyday, and you do eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. {But}You also must go without caffeine (she doesn't even want you to have decaf coffee and tea since it contains a little caffeine. She suggests water and naturally decaffeinated herbal teas), wheat, sugar (except from fruit) and dairy - and no artificial sweeteners either, except for stevia. You need to drink lots and lots of water too.

(Tuna and apple salad. Recipe from book)

You eat real food, all day, every day...but they must be the correct portions. I learned that my concept of portions is very wrong. You must make sure that you are having 1/2 to 1 cup of grains (depending on the phase you are in), 4 ounces of meat or 6 ounces of fish, 1/4 cup nuts or 2 T. almond butter on Phase 3....these all seemed normal to me. No problem. Except when I actually started to measure stuff out. 4 ounces of meat....not very much. 2 T. of almond butter? Scant. NO caffeine? Lord help me.

The phases I am referring too...the diet is broken down into 3 phases. Phase 1 last for 2 days and consists of mainly carbohydrates from fruits and whole grains (brown rice/quinoa/steel cut oats etc.). Phase 2 is also for 2 days, and is low carb and low fat. This was definitely the hardest phase for me. You have to eat lean proteins (egg whites, lean meats) and lots of veggies. Phase 3 is the best, and it lasts for 3 days. During Phase 3, you get to have carbs, whole grains, and healthy fats (think avocado and nuts!). Here again, portion control is key.

So how did I fair? The diet is a 28 day program. Honestly, I lasted 9 days. I blame it on Mother Nature. Not PMS, but the stupid weather! It turned cold and rainy, after being 80's and sunny, and on the 3rd day of rain and grey skies...I broke. I was cold and miserable and had a cup of coffee. Now, that shouldn't have totally derailed me, but I have that mentality of...'well, I already screwed up by drinking that coffee, I guess I will have some crackers.' Then later in the evening, I was like 'well, I've really messed up now, so I might as well have some chocolate too.' And just like that....I was off the wagon. And now I am kicking myself for being so weak! In the first week, I lost 6 POUNDS! I was losing a POUND A DAY for the first week, but then it slowed down. I knew it would, but when the scale was only decreasing by .2 for 3 days, that also led to my destruction. Again, stupid on my part...I should have stuck with it. The scale was going down, even if in small amounts. Here are my stats for the 9 days...

6 lbs lost
Inches lost -
1/4" loss on arm
1 1/2" from belly
1" from butt
1/2" from thigh
1/4" from calf

That's in just 9 days! I can't believe I quit. SO...my plan is to start again. I've already loaned the book to my sister, but there is a great app that I used on my iPad everyday. (It was offered free of charge by SheSpeaks, but I had already purchased it on my own.)

Fabulous blueberry oatmeal smoothie with avocado!

It is great for planning your meals, tracking your food and water, and planning is the KEY to success with this.

(steel cut oats with blueberries and cherries)

The more meals you have prepped and planned for, the greater the likelihood to succeed. I would recommend getting some meals in the freezer before ever starting the diet (frozen oatmeal, however, not so good!), and stock up on your favorite veggies. If you like vegetables, you will probably do great with this. If you prefer wine, cheese and chocolate like me...well, it's going to take will power! I would say this diet is similar to the Whole 30 diet, except there are specific phases that you follow.

Basically, it's no miracle - you eat real food, in the correct amounts, drink water, and exercise at least 3 days a week. Even though there is the app, I would still recommend reading the book before starting. The book goes into what to expect each week, mentally and physically. She is pretty dead on with what you will experience, and backs up her plan with facts that made a lot of sense.

I also learned a lot, just in the brief time I followed the plan. One, I definitely need to keep drinking water. I can tell a difference in my {gross!}cellulite on the back of my thighs - it was very much improved and I think the weight loss helped, but the water I think was a large part of it too. Two, I need to continue incorporating whole foods into my diet and stay away from the processed junk!! I am continuing with the sprouted wheat bread that Haylie recommends, and found that I really like gluten free rice crackers. My dairy weakness is cheese and yogurt, but I have decreased my families consumption of cheese. I was already drinking almond milk, and I will continue with that. Hopefully, when I tackle this program again, I will be more organized and ready for it. The whole point of following the plan for the full 28 days is to "re-set" your metabolism, and turn your body into a fat burning machine :-) That's exactly what I need!

Learn more by checking out The Fast Metabolism website, following on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. I've also got a Fast Metabolism Diet Pinterest board if you want to check out some of the recipes I've got pinned.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/FastMetabolismDiet. I received the book free of charge to review. All content is my own.

Low Carb Pizza Crust (that you can pick up, hold and fold!)

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:33:00 +0000

I'm not a newbie to low carb, and I've experimented with different low carb pizza crusts before. There was the egg and cream cheese crust and a previous cauliflower pizza crust attempt. The cauliflower crust had potential, so I decided to give it another try after I saw 'The Secret to Perfect Cauliflower Pizza Crust' by The Detoxinista. The key, she said, was to really squeeze all the liquid from the cauliflower before mixing your other ingredients. I gave it a try.

Tip: Make your crust thicker than you think you need bc it will flatten out quite a bit once cooked. Once you bake your crust, add toppings and bake a few more minutes.

We had a little meat lover's action going on.

But check it out! Low carb pizza that you can pick up, hold, and fold, just like regular pizza! Pretty cool.

It is also pretty tasty. The only thing I will do differently next time is to add more spices to the crust. The cauliflower has a little natural sweetness to it once baked, so I think adding more spices would help.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

adapted from The Detoxinista - my changes in italics
{makes 1 large crust}

4 cups raw cauliflower 'rice'*
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon basil
pinch of salt

*pulse cauliflower in a blender or food processor to achieve a rice-like consistency

Preheat your oven to 400 F.
Cook your cauliflower 'rice' by boiling about an inch of water in a large pot. Add the cauliflower, and cover. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, then drain with a fine-mesh strainer.
Place your drained cauliflower 'rice' on a clean, thin dishtowel. Wrap up the steamed rice in the dishtowel, twist it up, and squeeze all the water out! This is the key to having a crust that will hold together! Be careful, the cauliflower and water is hot, but squeeze it good (rubber gloves are handy for this step!)
In a large bowl, mix your strained rice with the beaten egg, cheese, and spices. Mix well.
Press the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed aluminum foil (mine still stuck to the foil a little, but not bad) into your desired pizza shape. Keep it about 1/3 to 1/2 inch in thickness.
Bake crust for 35-40 mins in preheated oven. The crust should be firm and golden brown when done.
Remove crust from oven and add toppings of choice. I used pizza sauce, turkey pepperoni, turkey sausage, Canadian bacon, and real bacon bits, and cheese, of course! Return the pizza to the oven, and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is hot and bubbly.

**There are excellent step by step pics in the original post.

Verdict? Definitely the best low carb crust I've made so far, and I plan on making it again.

I am linking this recipe up at (Monday) The Tumbleweed Contessa, Holly's Stamping Addiction, The Dedicated House, Homemaker on a Dime, Skip to my Lou, Making the World Cuter, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, This Gal Cooks, Watch Out, Martha!, My Favorite Finds, Beyer Beware (Tuesday) Naptime Creations, Mandy's Recipe Box, 33 Shades of Green, Blessed with Grace, Love in the Kitchen, Memories By the Mile,Inside BruCrew Life (Wednesday) Fluster Buster, Semi Homemade Mom, Adorned from Above, Lady Behind the Curtain, Ginger Snap Crafts, Hungry Little Girl, Naptime is My Time, Bloom Designs, Cherished Handmade Treasures (Thursday) Project Inspire ,Joyful Homemaking, Designed Decor, Taste and Tell, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, The Mandatory Mooch, The Busy Bee's, (Friday) Not Your Ordinary Recipes, Simple Living and Eating, Just Us Four, Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hypo, Diana Rambles, The Better Baker,Craftionary, Mummy Deals, One Artsy Mama, The Best Blog Recipes, One Creative Mommy, Michelle's Tasty Creations, Close to Home (Saturday) Sassy Little Lady, Lemons for Lulu, Or So She Says..., Six Sisters' Stuff (Sunday) Mommy's Sweet Confessions

Totally Retro at Target {GIVEAWAY}

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:08:00 +0000

I think my love for Target has been well established, as well as our crazy consumption of cereal, so when Big G cereals teamed up with Target again for their "retro" promotion, I was pretty excited. For a limited time, Big G cereals has brought back their “Retro” themed packaging. That's not all, to help celebrate the event, Big G has teamed up with Hasbro® too, offering a $5 coupon on Clue® Vintage, Scrabble® Vintage, Parcheesi® Vintage or Risk® Vintage board games at Target! You can collect all five limited edition Retro packages and a $5 Hasbro® board game coupon. Look for the following cereals...

Participating Big G cereals include: Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (16.2 oz.), Lucky Charms® (16 oz.), Honey Nut Cheerios® (17 oz.), Cheerios® (18 oz.) and Cocoa Puffs® (16.5 oz.)

But wait! Before you head to Target go online and print a coupon for $1 off 2 General Mills cereals. Collect all 5 different throw-back packages that each include a $5 coupon for these vintage Hasbro® board games. But hurry! These specially marked boxes are available exclusively at Target® from March 15, 2013 to April 30, 2013 while supplies last. The coupon, however, is valid at Target stores from March 15, 2013 to December 31, 2013. The participating Hasbro vintage board games include Clue® Vintage, Scrabble® Vintage, Parcheesi® Vintage and Risk® Vintage. I used to love Clue®, and now my kids are discovering how much fun board games can be too. They are learning how to play Parcheesi® Vintage, and they are going to have to teach me, because I don't remember! While you're there, check out all the General Mills specials at Target!

Not only did my family receive this fabulously fun gift pack...

but you can win one too!

The Prize Pack Includes:

2 boxes of participating Big G Retro cereal
$10 Target gift card
1 Hasbro Parcheesi® Deluxe Vintage board game

Fun right?! So go ahead, enter to win via the Rafflecopter form!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Vectra Flea & Tick Control - Protect the love™

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 08:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Vectra flea & tick control for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you have a fur baby (or babies!), then flea and tick control is probably pretty high on your priority list. Especially when your fur babies and your human babies spend a lot of time together!

That's where Vectra flea and tick control comes in. Vectra is a fast acting, long lasting, broad spectrum product that begins working in 5 minutes and kills fleas within 6 hours. Now that's fast! It's not just for fleas and ticks either...Vectra also repels and kills mosquitoes, biting and sand flies, lice and most mites. It last for a month too, even with swimming and bathing. It comes with an easy-to-use applicator and is safe for puppies as young as 7 weeks. (This particular product is not for use on cats)

Interested in trying Vectra for the dog baby in your life? Enter Vectra’s Protect the love Facebook Sweepstakes for a $100 gift card to use at your next veterinarian visit. (A gift card will be rewarded each week for the duration of the Sweepstakes!) Each entrant to the Protect the love Sweepstakes can claim a free dose of Vectra flea & tick control , you will just need to print out the coupon for a free dose to be redeemed at a Vectra veterinarian near you. (Just enter the sweepstakes, then visit FirstDoseFree.com and fill out the form.)

For more information, be sure to like Vectra on Facebook and follow @VectraPet on Twitter.

{healthier} No Bake Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:24:00 +0000

You know that classic no-bake cookie with chocolate and peanut butter and oats?

Yep, those are the ones! You can't beat the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. I gave this classic a little makeover, to make them a tad bit healthier, but still a delicious way to knock out that chocolate craving. I've posted the recipe over at Eat at Home today...come check it out!

Wordless Wednesday - My baby is 5!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:01:00 +0000

For those of you that were around at the beginning of the blog, there was Mr. Terrible Two...

and now...

My baby is FIVE!

I really, really, really, can NOT believe how fast my children are growing up!

New Kidz ZonePerfect Bars Review & GIVEAWAY

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:26:00 +0000

My kids are always on the go....whether it is school, sports, church activities....it's always something. Sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) they are in such a hurry that they have to eat on the run. They are throwing things in their lunch boxes for school lunch, or grabbing something to eat on the way somewhere, because we are always running behind schedule. Does this sound familiar to anyone else? (Please tell me it's not just us!) That's why I was pretty excited for my kids to try these new bars by ZonePerfect, called Kidz ZonePerfect. They are made just for kids! Well....not just for kids, but with kids in mind (kids actually created the flavors!). They come in great flavors that kids love, but loaded with the nutrition that moms love. Currently available are -

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip

Caramel Crunch

Yellow Cupcake!

(yes, that gets an exclamation point!)

Not only do they come in great, kid-friendly flavors but they contain 23 vitamins and minerals, are a good source of protein (5 grams), have a kid-friendly amount of fiber (3 grams), are 140-150 calories per bar, making them a great-tasting nutritious snack alternative for active kids.

My oldest daughter needs the extra protein, while my middle daughter needs to keep calories in check, so these bars make it possible for me to offer the same snack option to meet both their needs. As a bonus, my oldest just got braces recently, and these were easy for her to eat! They are soft enough to not bother her teeth, but not so chewy that they stuck in her braces. (She hasn't tried the Caramel Crunch yet, but has eaten the other two. Without sharing I might add.)

If you would like to learn more about ZonePerfect, the full nutrition information is available at www.ZonePerfect.com. Also, join us on Facebook and Twitter!

Now, the best part...the GIVEAWAY! ZonePerfect has agreed to give one Makin' it Mo'Betta reader a box of EACH FLAVOR to try for yourselves! That's THREE boxes of Kidz ZonePerfect Bars! (My oldest is not happy that she can't enter the giveaway herself, and has insisted I go to Target ASAP to buy more.) Kidz ZonePerfect is available at Target stores nationwide and should now be available in the nutrition aisle at grocery stores, drug stores and mass merchandisers. ZonePerfect Nutrition products also can be ordered online at www.abbottstore.com.

Just enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter form. Shipping only available within the United States.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received the sample kit pictured at the top of the post to facilitate the review of Kidz ZonePerfect bars. No other compensation was received. All opinions expressed in post are my own, or that of my children.

Monterey Chicken {Chili's Copycat recipe}

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:38:00 +0000

Cheese. Chicken. Bacon. Barbecue Sauce. You know it's gonna be good. Unfortunately, I took the pics when I was in a huge rush to get the kids out the door to volleyball practice, and the lighting was terrible, soooo....don't judge the recipe by the picture! This blob of cheesiness was pretty darn tasty (and see The Recipe Critic for a much better picture). This used to be a popular sandwich at Chili's Restaurant, (and may still be, haven't been in a while!) and contains some of my favorite things. I served mine on a plate with sides, but plan on trying it on a nice toasty bun one day soon. Either way, it's delish.

Monterey Chicken
source - The Recipe Critic
my changes in italics

Marinade:
3 T. Honey

3 T. reduced sodium Soy Sauce
3 T. Worchestershire Sauce
1/2 t. minced garlic
1/4 t. sea salt

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Topping:
8 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese
8 slices bacon (I used pre-cooked)
8 T. barbecue sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's)

* Marinate the chicken in a mixture of honey, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and salt for at least an hour (but can be marinated overnight.)
* Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour a little of the marinade in the bottom of a large baking pan and place chicken on top. Cover with aluminum foil and cook for about 30 minutes or until the center is no longer pink and juices run clear. (Cook time will depend on the size of your chicken breasts).
* While chicken is cooking, fry up the bacon and set aside - or use pre-cooked bacon as I did.
* After chicken is cooked through, spread with barbecue sauce, top with bacon and cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly.

Now, I have a little cheat for you - I had pre-cooked chicken breasts from the freezer (thawed), so I placed the cooked chicken in the marinade for a couple of hours (or could be done in the morning before work), then placed my chicken on a baking sheet, covered with barbecue sauce and baked until it was warmed throughout. Then I topped with my pre-cooked bacon and cheese stuck it under the broiler until the cheese was nice and melt-y. It took 15-20 mins at the most (start to finish). The pre-cooked chicken absorbed the marinade well, and it was a time saver since we had to be out the door pretty quickly for the kids' practices. We had baked potatoes (cooked in the microwave in steamer bags) and a salad as quick and easy sides.

This recipe is a keeper!

I am linking this recipe up at (Monday) The Tumbleweed Contessa, Holly's Stamping Addiction, The Dedicated House, Homemaker on a Dime, Skip to my Lou, Making the World Cuter, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, This Gal Cooks, Watch Out, Martha!, My Favorite Finds, Beyer Beware (Tuesday) Naptime Creations, Mandy's Recipe Box, 33 Shades of Green, Blessed with Grace, Love in the Kitchen, Memories By the Mile,Inside BruCrew Life (Wednesday) Fluster Buster, Semi Homemade Mom, Adorned from Above, Lady Behind the Curtain, Ginger Snap Crafts, Hungry Little Girl, Naptime is My Time, Bloom Designs, Cherished Handmade Treasures (Thursday) Project Inspire ,Joyful Homemaking, Designed Decor, Taste and Tell, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, The Mandatory Mooch, The Busy Bee's, (Friday) Not Your Ordinary Recipes, Simple Living and Eating, Just Us Four, Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hypo, Diana Rambles, The Better Baker,Craftionary, Mummy Deals, One Artsy Mama, The Best Blog Recipes, One Creative Mommy, Michelle's Tasty Creations, Close to Home (Saturday) Sassy Little Lady, Lemons for Lulu, Or So She Says..., Six Sisters' Stuff (Sunday) Mommy's Sweet Confessions

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. #EverydayEffect

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 18:43:00 +0000

You may be asking, what is the Everyday Effect in the title all about? Well, I was chosen to participate in The P&G Everyday Effect Program sponsored by SheSpeaks/P&G. The challenge was to incorporate something in the everyday life of my family that helps us reduce, reuse and/or recycle. If everyone of us takes little steps, then it will have a giant impact on our carbon footprint. With 3 children, I see that the things we do and the actions we take everyday will effect their future. The things they learn and implement starting now, will carry on to what actions they take and their mindset for the future as well. So, I think it is important to start early...teach kids starting at very young ages to reduce, reuse, and recycle whenever possible. I can't say that I've done a great job at having a "green" household, but I hope that with every little change I make, and every fact I share with my kids, it will have an impact. I've always taught them to turn lights off when not in use, to close outside doors when they go in or out, to not leave the water running when they are brushing their teeth...but what else could we do?

We had started halfway recycling our plastics before the challenge. But with the challenge, I felt we really needed to make a better effort. We shouldn't just remember to recycle drink bottles and milk cartons...but all of our plastic products. Now, we have a large garbage can in the garage that is set up just for plastics, AND, since that would require walking a few extra steps (and we are terrible about doing that), I have set up a smaller place in the laundry room for bottles, etc. When the inside bag is full, someone dumps it into the large trashcan in the garage. This has worked out much better for us. Once the outdoor trash is full, my husband takes it off to the recycling center (we don't have trash pick up).

Take a look at this little video, starring my oldest daughter, sharing the little things we are doing to have an 'Everyday Effect' on the environment...

This challenge has been good for us, because it made us focus on a goal (recycling our plastics), but also caused us to think about all the other things we can do to help protect our planet. It also reinforced to my children why some of the things we have been doing are important...like reusable lunch containers and pouches for school lunches, rechargeable batteries, and buying items in bulk instead of the little individual pouches.

Not only is SheSpeaks working with P&G to raise awareness for Earth Day (and every day!), they are also having an awesome Pin to Win Giveaway for a brand new washing machine! Enter the P&G #EverydayEffect Pinterest Giveaway by filling out the form here!

What little ways are you having an #EverydayEffect on our planet? Feel free to share!

This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/P&G but all content and opinions are my own.

Get ready for Spring at Dollar General

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 04:01:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dollar General for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Since Dollar General is one of three stores within 30 minutes of my house, I'm in there fairly often. Usually it's to pick up some forgotten item on my shopping list, like shampoo or pain reliever, but a few weeks ago I ran in to pick up some fun little St. Patrick's Day items for my daughter to wear to her school dance. I picked up some green bracelets and necklaces, buttons and a shirt. Yes, Dollar General also has clothes and shoes! Who knew?! They had a cute green Kermit the Frog shirt, so I grabbed it since she had torn her closet apart the night before searching for something green to wear. I thought she might think the shirt was cute, but being a middle schooler, one can never be sure! However, she did like and wear the shirt and loved the fun little accesories I had picked up. While I was there, I also found a pair of black flats on clearance for 3 bucks! Yes, three dollars, and they were cute! I thought it would be something my daughter could wear to church.

Hey, you just can't beat $3. AND, they are very comfortable - not hard plastic ;-) So, to make a long story, uhm, kinda long - my point is that Dollar General has more than just household and office supplies. You can see some of their Spring items in their Dollar General Apparel Book, where they have some cute little things for the whole family.

Spring Dresses Bright shoes that my girls love! and much more.

So, if you have a local Dollar General, you may want to pop in and see what great deals you can find. You can also like Dollar General on Facebook and follow Dollar General on Twitter too.

Fudgey Mocha Nut Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:40:00 +0000

I know I've been skimping on the posts here lately, but I just can't seem to get things caught up since vacation. I'm trying to find a happy medium between keeping my blog up, and also keeping the house from looking like a train wreck, plus cooking {semi}healthy meals, while running constantly picking up/dropping off children, etc. You know the drill.

As I got on my computer today, the first thing I saw were images from the explosions at the Boston Marathon. Of course I cried, and all I could think of is how I was just looking at horrific images not too long ago. The world is 'going to hell in a hand basket' as my mother says. It is so sad and depressing. You know what isn't sad? This pie...

Seriously, this is the happiest freakin' pie I've ever seen.

This recipe is one I've had cut out from a magazine and stuck in a notebook for years!

I don't know what magazine it came from, but I found it on the Hershey's website too.

This is the first time I have made it, and this pie is DIVINE. It's very rich, very chocolate-y, with lots of nuts and a hint of coffee. The coffee really accentuates the chocolate and the texture is like a moist brownie. This is now my favorite chocolate pie. I love the flavor and texture even more than my Chocolate Chess Pie! If you are not a coffee fan, you could leave it out, and still have a delicious chocolate pie, but the coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor. I also used half regular Hershey's cocoa and half Hershey's Dark, b/c I looovvvee dark chocolate, and I used fat free sweetened condensed milk, b/c that's all I ever buy. Other than than, I followed the recipe as written. If you are a chocolate lover like me, you definitely want to give this one a try!

I am linking this recipe up at (Monday) The Tumbleweed Contessa, Holly's Stamping Addiction, The Dedicated House, Homemaker on a Dime, Skip to my Lou, Making the World Cuter, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, This Gal Cooks, Watch Out, Martha!, My Favorite Finds (Tuesday) Naptime Creations, Mandy's Recipe Box, 33 Shades of Green, Blessed with Grace, Love in the Kitchen, Memories By the Mile,Inside BruCrew Life (Wednesday) Fluster Buster, Semi Homemade Mom, Adorned from Above, Lady Behind the Curtain, Ginger Snap Crafts, Hungry Little Girl, Naptime is My Time, Bloom Designs, Cherished Handmade Treasures (Thursday) Project Inspire ,Joyful Homemaking, Designed Decor, Taste and Tell, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, The Mandatory Mooch, The Busy Bee's, (Friday) Not Your Ordinary Recipes, Simple Living and Eating, Just Us Four, Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hypo, Diana Rambles, The Better Baker,Craftionary, Mummy Deals, One Artsy Mama, The Best Blog Recipes, One Creative Mommy, Michelle's Tasty Creations, Close to Home (Saturday) Sassy Little Lady, Lemons for Lulu, Or So She Says..., Six Sisters' Stuff, Sweet as Sugar Cookies (Sunday) Mommy's Sweet Confessions

Spaghetti with Kale and Lemon

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 13:08:00 +0000

Want an easy, delicious, and healthy dinner this week? Try this spaghetti with kale and lemon. This recipe made me like kale, which if you know my history with the veggie, you know this is no easy task! Come on over to Eat at Home where I shared the recipe!

Does anyone else have this problem?!

via Pinterest

Breakfast Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:07:00 +0000

The other day I mentioned a breakfast pizza in my brunch post (don't forget to enter the giveaway!) and thought I would share the recipe today. It's so easy, and can be made pretty quick depending on the ingredients you choose. I am finding that you can put pretty much anything on a pizza crust and it's going to be a hit! (Remember my macaroni and cheese pizza?!)

This is one of those meals that can be for breakfast, lunch or dinner (and brunch, of course). I went with the basics of bacon, egg and cheese, but the topping options are pretty much endless. I originally got the idea from Pinterest, and the pin was from the blog Born Free. I used my favorite store-bought crust, b/c I didn't have time to make homemade pizza dough, and baked my bacon, which was a first for me. I highly recommend it if you hate dealing with popping, messy grease from regular bacon. I haven't tried this with turkey bacon yet.

Breakfast Pizza

pizza crust of choice

2-4 oz. cream cheese (optional, but recommended)

4-6 eggs (depending on the size of your pizza crust)

6 slices of bacon (or topping of choice); cooked and crumbled

1-2 cups shredded cheese (depending on your preference)

salt and pepper (to taste)

As you can see, this recipe is so versatile that this is just a guide. I made 2 large pizzas, so I doubled my quantities on everything (the above is for one). Next time, I will use more cream cheese (I only had 2 oz for 2 pizzas) or I will try using sausage gravy as my 'sauce'!

Heat oven to required temp for your pizza...I think mine was 425. I pre-baked my crust for abt 7 minutes. While the crust is baking, scramble your eggs. Add salt and pepper as desired - just remember that if you are using bacon, it's going to add a lot of salt. (I just used pepper.) When the crust has finished baking, remove from oven and add your cream cheese. Cover crust as you would with pizza sauce. You can add any seasonings you like as well. Add scrambled eggs on top of the cream cheese, place bacon or other toppings on top of eggs, top the whole pizza pie with cheese. Pop back into the oven until cheese is nice and melted and crust has completely cooked. This took about another 7 minutes for me.

This was something everyone enjoyed, and it was so easy, I'm sure I will make it again soon.

My Wish List -

Living the Green with White Cloud

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 02:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of White Cloud for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Living the Green?! You may be asking what does that mean? And what does it have to do with toilet tissue! Well, first, White Cloud is more than toilet paper, and now they have an eco-friendly line called White Cloud GreenEarth (check out the White Cloud GreenEarth products page). GreenEarth is made from 100 percent recycled fibers, and maintains the highest standards of quality (All GreenEarth® products maintain a Forest Stewardship Council certification), while still being affordable. "Being green" doesn't have to mean spending a lot of green! White Cloud products are sold exclusively at Wal-Mart, so you know they are going to be affordable (Find a Store Near You!). And seriously, there are so many little things we can all do to be 'Living the Green' life, that is not expensive or inconvenient. I know I am constantly reminding my kids to turn the lights off when not in use, do not leave water dripping from the sinks, and place plastics in the recycle container. We have also been replacing our light bulbs with more economical energy saving bulbs that last longer, use less energy, and yet provide the same amount of light or even better. Yes, they cost more up front, but they definitely pay for themselves in the long run. I've even made a few of my own cleaning products!

Do you need ideas for Living the Green? Check out the White Cloud “Living the Green” Pinterest board for many green living tips and ideas. I just found several ideas that I plan to explore and hopefully incorporate in my family's daily life.

There is also a sweepstakes going on right now! The White Cloud’s Pin it to Win it “Living the Green Sweepstakes”! There will be five (5) prizes awarded. Each prize winner will receive a Green Living Gift Basket containing White Cloud GreenEarth Paper Towels, White Cloud GreenEarth Bath Tissue and cleaning supplies, with an approximate retail value (“ARV”) of $200. Sounds good right? So, how do you enter? It's easy:

1. Follow the White Cloud Pinterest page
2. Create your own “Living the Green” Pinterest board
3. Repin at least one Pin from the White Cloud “Living the Green” board to your board and include the hashtag #LivingTheGreen in the pin’s caption
4. Visit mywhitecloud.com/promotions and complete the sweepstakes entry form (Sweepstakes Rules and Regulations, NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Ends 4/30/13. Click here for Official Rules.)

Are you ready to start Living the Green? What are things you are already doing? Please share in the comments, as I'm sure I am not the only one who would like to be doing more! With 3 children, I feel like the more we can do now, the better their future will be, as well as future generations. You can also Like White Cloud on Facebook and Follow White Cloud on Twitter to share your helpful hints, as well as learn more!

Wordless Wednesday - Vacation Food Pics!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:58:00 +0000

I'm just starting to go through my pics from vacation..but here are a few for the foodies out there!

The moistest, most delicious chocolate cake...esp the icing, which I'm usually not a fan of!

an incredible Club sandwich with an avocado spread

a chocolate covered caramel apple with....Reese Cups!

so I wasn't all bad...I had a salad :-) A very delicious spinach salad.

Okay, so not quite wordless...

My Eggland's Best Brunch {& GIVEAWAY}

noreply@blogger.com (Kim of Mo Betta) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 18:54:00 +0000

I have been using Eggland's Best eggs for a good while now, so when they contacted me with this opportunity to host a brunch and offered a fun giveaway for you guys, I jumped on it! I love brunch. It's not breakfast, it's not lunch...you can pretty much get away with anything for the menu. It's a great time to change up those breakfast casseroles, combine breakfast and lunch items, such as with breakfast pizzas, just let your imagination go. Unless your family is like mine...in which foods must be ~~boring~~ basic, non-spicy, and "normal". If they found spinach in their breakfast casserole, they would fah-reak. *sigh*

Thankfully, I was able to come up with a few dishes that were winners all around. That's one of the great things about eggs, they are so versatile! I'm so thankful that my son is no longer allergic to eggs as it has opened up a whole new world in the way of menu planning! Since we eat so many dishes with eggs now (we also LOVE breakfast for dinner...brinner?) it is nice to know that Eggland's Best eggs offer more than your 'average egg'. They have 10 times more vitamin E; double the amount of omega-3’s; twice the amount of vitamin D; 3 times more vitamin B12; 25% less saturated fat and 38% more lutein. I know, wow!

So what eggs-tremely (haha, couldn't resist) delicious dishes did I serve?

This Biscuit Breakfast Casserole with sausage, eggs, and cheese was pretty delicious. I especially liked mine with a little sausage gravy. We Southerners like gravy on most anything :-)

Biscuit Breakfast Casserole

adapted from Sausage, Egg and Biscuit Casserole by Plain Chicken

1 lb breakfast turkey sausage
7 Eggland's Best eggs
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup fat free half and half

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper
8 frozen buttermilk biscuits, slightly thawed, halved (I used Grands)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375.
Lightly spray a 7x11-inch dish with cooking spray.
Brown sausage in pan, breaking into chunks. Drain fat if necessary.
Whisk together eggs, milk, half and half, cream, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Slice each biscuit in half with serrated knife. Place biscuit bottoms in baking dish.
Sprinkle half of cooked sausage over biscuits and top with half of the cheese.
Place remaining biscuits on top of cheese, and sprinkle with remaining sausage.
Pour egg mixture over biscuits.
Bake 30 minutes.
Sprinkle remaining cheese over casserole and bake until eggs are set, about 10-15 minutes longer.
Let casserole stand 10 minutes before serving.

I'm also loving this idea for mini breakfast casseroles! You make it in a muffin pan, which would have been great for brunch.

We also had Breakfast Pizza, similar to this Scrambled Egg Pizza, that I will be sharing later in the week. This SunnySide Breakfast Pizza from the Eggland's Best website also looks pretty amazing. The site has LOTS of good looking recipes if you want new ideas. (They also have a special going on right now for a free eCookbook for Facebook fans, click on the link to learn more.) There was also delicious fruit salad, grits, and maybe a mimosa or two.

So...I know I mentioned a giveaway and you have patiently waited to hear the details. Eggland's Best is offering a Makin' it Mo'Betta reader the following prize pack.

(1) coupon for one free dozen Eggland’s Best eggs

(1) ceramic mixing bowl
(1) egg-shaped wooden cutting board
(1) whisk
(1) bowl scraper
(1) ceramic mug

(1) eco bag

It's a fun and useful gift pack, and I have been using mine a lot! To enter, just follow the directions in the rafflecopter form.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Eggland’s Best coupon, information, and two gift packs have been provided by Eggland’s Best. Any opinions expressed about the product are my own.

Linking up this recipe with The Gooseberry Patch Blog