Get Active Giveaway

It is giveaway time! Check out this fun Get Active prize pack from Yoplait for Kids. It includes: a coupon for free Yoplait Kids Yogurt, a travel cooler, a jump rope, a water bottle, and an outdoor game set that includes a beach ball, paddle ball, Jai-Ali, and a Frisbee.

There are 3 prize packages to give away. To have a chance to win, leave a comment telling me what you do to stay active or what you do to keep your kids active. You will receive extra entries for blogging about the giveaway and/or subscribing to my blog. Just leave me an extra comment telling me you did so. Entries will be accepted through Thursday, April 2 at midnight central time.

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Cherrybrook Kitchen Cookies

I have been looking for these cookies for quite some time now, and I finally found them at Whole Foods yesterday. Cherrybrook Kitchen has many baking mixes that are gluten free and allergen free, and now they have a variety of cookies. I had a hard time deciding which flavor to purchase. The flavors include: chocolate chip, fudge brownie, snickerdoodle, and vanilla graham. Only two are gluten free. I choose vanilla graham, and I was not disappointed. The cute little cookies are full of graham flavor and a touch of vanilla and cinnamon. I also like that they are fairly low in sugar...only 8 grams for 6 cookies. They remind me of some of the cookies I ate when I was a kid. I can't believe they don't have gluten, dairy, or eggs in them. I can't wait to try the other flavors! These are definitely the perfect treat for everyone including vegans and those with food allergies.

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Bacon, Tomato, and Cheese Crescents

This is a fun recipe that the whole family is sure to love. These Bacon, Tomato, and Cheese Crescents were easy to make. The kids could definitely join in when making these. Paired with a salad or some veggies, this would be a perfect quick meal for those busy week nights!

Bacon, Tomato, and Cheese Crescents

link to recipe at kraftfoods.com
1 can (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup finely chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup finely chopped red peppers

4 slices bacon, crisply cooked, drained and chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Separate dough into eight triangles; spread with cream cheese.
Top evenly with remaining ingredients.
Roll up, starting at shortest side of each triangle.
Place, point-sides down, on baking sheet. Bake 12 to 15 min. or until golden brown. Serve warm.

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The winner is.....

The winner of the Stoneyfield Farm free yogurts and coupons is:

Anne said:

I love yogurt with cereal or granola mixed in. Yum!

Stay tuned: There are two big giveaways and more recipes coming up....but until then, I leave you with some pictures of my kitchen helpers.

Lucky Me!

After a long day at work, I was so excited to find a package waiting for me at home. I opened it up, and it was the cookbook I won over on April's blog Gluten Hates Me But I am Surviving! The Easy Summer Food cookbook is awesome and has beautiful pictures. All the recipes look fantastic. April also threw in some surprises: some green teas and a super soft Puffins shirt. Thank you April! I love all my goodies.

I am going to let you all choose the first recipe that I try out of this cookbook. Which one would you like to see the most?

Lemon Cake with Vanilla Syrup and Strawberries
Mozzarella Baked Tomatoes
Asian Barbecue Sauce

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Yogurt Giveaway!

The nice people over at Stoneyfield Farm sent me a variety of coupons, and I am giving away some of them because I know how much some of you bloggers love yogurt. I am going to get some of the Oikos Greek yogurt and use it in a recipe soon. To win the above coupons for free Oikos Greek Yogurt and discounts on other Stoneyfield products, leave a comment telling me your favorite way to enjoy yogurt. The giveaway will end Thursday, March 26 at midnight central time.

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Cupcake Fun

Just some cupcake decorating fun to share with you all. I felt like getting creative frosting these cupcakes, and played with some fun ideas. They didn't turn out too bad, but they are definitely not even close to my sister's decorating skills. I have a long way to go.

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Cinnamon Oat Muffins

Who can resist cinnamon sugar? These muffins can be thrown together quickly for a breakfast treat. They have a dense texture due to the oat flour, and a crunchy top from the cinnamon sugar. In the pictured muffins, I put a little cinnamon sugar in the middle, but this led to them falling apart more easily when eating them. I think I will top these with a yummy glaze next time.

Cinnamon Oat Muffins
1 cup oat flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup cinnamon sugar
1/2 cup soy milk
2 tblsp canola oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix oat flour, baking powder, and 3 tbsp cinnamon sugar together.
Gradually mix in soy milk and oil.
Pour mix into 6-8 muffin tins/paper liners.
Top each with 1 tsp cinnamon sugar.
Bake for 25 minutes or until they test done.

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Starbucks Instant Coffee: Tried and Reviewed

I received my Starbucks instant coffee samples in the mail today! I have been anxiously awaiting their arrival. The package included two samples: Columbia roast and Italian roast. Since it was the afternoon, and the sun was shining on this first day of Spring, I decided to try it cold. I mixed the Columbia roast with cold water and a little soy milk. My coffee loving taste buds were thrilled. It was delicious. I can't wait to try the Italian roast. I think I might just have to invest in some of these little packets of coffee goodness. A package of 12 is $9.95, which costs a lot less than $2.00 for a daily grande coffee. I haven't seen them in stores, but you can purchase them here.

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Holy Yum! Fudge

This week's Holy Yum! Award goes to the Maple Fudge from Jessie @ Hungry Mouse. Just look at that golden sweet treat. I wish I had some now. What is your favorite flavor of fudge? I would say that I have a few favorites: maple, pumpkin, and mocha.

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Sweet Potato Oatmeal Bread

I knew I could lure some of you food bloggers over here if I combined sweet potato and oatmeal in a recipe. These two foods seem to be very popular in the food blog world. I will admit that I am a fellow lover of both. This recipe is egg and dairy free, so all you vegans can enjoy this one too. This bread was so moist and full of sweet and spicy flavors. (Secret: I used organic baby food for the pureed sweet potatoes. They are already pureed, so I didn't have to do it.)

Sweet Potato Oatmeal Bread

1 cup oats
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pureed sweet potatoes
1 cup oat flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
3 tsp baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the oats and hot water.
Mix in the agave nectar and pureed sweet potatoes.
In separate bowl, combine oat flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and baking powder.
Add dry mix to wet mix and stir until well blended.
Pour into a 9x5 loaf pan.
Let stand for 20 minutes.
Bake for 45 minutes.
ENJOY!

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Coffee Curiosity and Coffee Cozy Winner

Before I reveal the winner, I have some coffee questions for all of you:

Are you a coffee drinker?
If you are, how do you drink your coffee? (with milk, creamer, etc.)
What is your favorite drink to order at Starbucks?

I am definitely a coffee drinker. I love flavored coffee, and I usually add vanilla soy milk. At Starbucks, I usually get a grande soy misto.

And the winner of the coffee cozy is.....Andrea @ Busy Moms CAN Cook.

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Chicken Black Bean Enchiladas

You will love this recipe if you are wanting to make a quick Tex-Mex meal. It takes 35 minutes to bake, but it so easy to prepare. Gloria @ The Food and Flavors of San Antonio might just be proud of me for this one. My husband loved all the cheesiness. Hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead. Don't forget to enter my latest giveaway.

Chicken Black Bean Enchiladas

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1 can (15 oz) black beans
3/4 cup salsa
1/2 cup cooked corn
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups Mexican blend cheese
1 can (10 oz) mild enchilada sauce
8 flour tortillas

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Combine red bell pepper, chicken, beans, salsa, corn, cilantro and 2 cups cheese in a large bowl.
Spread 1 tablespoon of enchilada sauce on each tortilla.
Top each tortilla with about 3/4 cup of the bean and chicken mixture.
Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in the baking dish.
Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas.
Top with remaining cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, removing the foil during the last 5-10 minutes of baking.

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Lemon Pudding Cupcakes

These cupcakes were so much fun to make! My mind was swirling with other combinations of cake flavors and puddings that I could combine. This cupcake is made with lemon cake mix, lemon pudding, and whipped cream cheese frosting.
To make these cupcakes, bake the lemon cupcakes according to directions on cake mix packaging. While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare filling by mixing 2 packages (3.4 oz) of instant lemon pudding with 2 cups milk. When cupcakes are cool, cut a 1 inch diameter hole in the middle and about half way down into the cupcake. Pull out the piece of cake and fill the hole with a tablespoon of the pudding mixture. Cut off the bottom half of the small piece you removed and replace the circular portion back on top of the pudding to close the hole. Frost and enjoy! These cupcakes should be refrigerated since they have the pudding centers.

So what combinations of cake flavors, puddings, and frostings would you like? If you were reading my blog back in September, you know I am a pumpkin lover, and I am dreaming of a pumpkin version of these cupcakes!

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Coffee Cozy Giveaway

I am so excited about this giveaway. I found these Coffee Cozies at Maryanne's Etsy Shop Bagel Creations. What a great way to GO GREEN and have a stylish cup of coffee or tea. These cozies come in a variety of colors and styles. Here is Maryanne's description of these awesome cozies:

At the coffee shop and forgot your travel mug, but still want to be green? Use a coffee cozy and skip the cardboard sleeve! These coffee cozies are super cute and are lined with Insul Bright to keep your coffee hot and keep your hand from being scorched. This one is made from a beautiful blue tropical flower print. Sure to warm you up! They are totally adjustable thanks to an elastic band and a button, so they will fit any cup. After you're done with your coffee, roll it up and secure with the elastic band. Then you can attach it to your keychain, backpack, or wherever!

This makes a great gift paired with a gift card to your favorite coffee shop! Perfect for teachers, coworkers, or the friend who has everything!

To get a chance to win the coffee cozy pictured, visit Bagel Creations and then leave me a comment telling me which coffee cozy style is your favorite. Earn an extra entry if you post about this giveaway on your blog. Just remember to let me know about the link. You have until Monday, March 16, at midnight to enter!

More good news: Maryanne is offering FREE shipping during this giveaway.

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Breakfast Discounts and Freebies

Breakfast is my absolute favorite meal of the day, and I never miss it. I prefer the comfort of warm creamy cereals in the morning paired with a hot cup of coffee. Here are some links I thought some of my fellow breakfast lovers would like. One is a coupon for Jamba Juice Oatmeal, and the other is for a free sample of Cream of Wheat. Has anyone tried the Jamba Juice Oatmeal yet? I would love to hear what you think of it.

Jamba Juice Oatmeal for $1.00
Free Cream of Wheat

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Strawberry Chocolate Chip Thumbprints

It is another one of those celebration days at work tomorrow, and I wanted to make a sweet treat for the occasion. I decided to create a twist on the traditional thumbprint cookies. I thought the combination of the strawberry and chocolate would be intriguing. These are so easy to make! Just combine all the ingredients, roll the dough in balls, make indentations, bake, then fill indentations with preserves. Any other ideas on flavor combinations for thumbprints?

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Thumbprints
2 eggs
3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup strawberry preserves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray large cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl, beat eggs lightly.
Add margarine or butter, sugar, and vanilla extract to eggs in large bowl.
Combine with mixer at medium speed until evenly mixed.
Add flour and stir just until blended.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Roll tablespoonfuls into balls.
Place balls, 2 inches apart, on cookie sheet.
With thumb, make small indentation in center of each ball.
Bake cookies 20 minutes or until golden.
Immediately fill each indentation with 1/4 teaspoon of jam.
Cool cookies completely on wire rack.

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Free Recipe E-book

There are exciting things happening over at ZestyCook.com. Not only is there a new design, there is also a free e-book featuring recipes from some of your favorite food bloggers. I am excited that I got to be a part of this e-book and have one of my recipes included in a group of such fabulous recipes. Now what are you waiting for....go retrieve your free e-book now. Here is the link: Free Recipe E-book!

Holy Yum! Bananas and Cinnamon

This week's Holy Yum! Award goes to the Banana Cinnamon Chip Cake @ Two Peas and a Pod. What an awesome idea to add cinnamon chips to a banana snack cake. I could eat this cake for breakfast and as a dessert. Do you have any favorite recipes using bananas?

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Molten Caramel Brownie Cakes

Here is an easy recipe for a rich dessert. When served warm the centers are full of melted chocolate and caramel. ENJOY!

Molten Caramel Brownie Cakes

1 pkg. (21.5 oz.) fudge brownie mix
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tbsp. water
2 eggs
12 Dove caramel filled chocolates

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin pans with paper liners or cooking spray. Combine brownie mix, flour, oil, water, and eggs and mix until well blended. Fill each liner 1/4 full with batter. Place one chocolate in middle of each. Use remaining batter to cover the chocolates and fill liners 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

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Personalized Baking Tag Winner

I loved all the great ways you all would personalize your baking tags. Congrats to Pam @ Pamcakes and Eggs. You have won the personalized baking tags. Please e-mail me at megslp18@hotmail.com with your address.

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Happy Birthday!

This weekend, my family is celebrating my nephew Preston's 2nd birthday. His party was at Little Gym today, and all the kids had a fabulous time playing on the equipment. Everyone's favorite activity was the parachute activity. They even gave Preston a ride on it! Of course, my sister made a delicious and adorable cake for the party. One tier was a vanilla cake with banana cream filling, and the other tier was chocolate with a banana cream filling. Tomorrow is his actual birthday and we will be celebrating more.

P.S. - Thank you to all my friends who expressed so much love and support regarding my previous post. You all are awesome. It means a lot to me. HUGS!

For My Dear Friend....

I just found out that my dear friend that I made on StumbleUpon has become an angel. Some of you may know of her because she supported all the food blogs on StumbleUpon. Her screen name was crminks. I met her through StumbleUpon and we became instant friends and started messaging each other every day. Every morning, her messages waiting for me made me smile. We discovered that we had lots in common and she called me her twin. We were both Texas girls and we had a love for winged animals (especially birds and dragonflies). We planned to get together some day and cook for each other and share our stories.....I know someday I will truly meet her. If any of you knew her, please feel free to leave a comment about your memories of her. My heart is heavy, but I am so glad she is no longer in pain.

Down Under Yogurt

pic source Wallaby.com

I saw this new product on my trip to Whole Foods the other day! These lowfat yogurts come in several flavors including dark chocolate, grapefruit, peach, and mango tangerine. Aren't they pretty!? I love the name. Visit the Wallaby website to see all the flavors. I sure wish I didn't have a milk allergy. If any one tries these and wants to do a guest product review let me know!

Don't forget to sign up for my latest giveaway!

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Personalized Baking Tags Giveaway

I think personalized creations are so much fun. Check out these fun personalized baking tags that you could use when you give your baked goods as gifts! These tags were created by Christy from the shop Farouche. I just love her description of why she created these tags:

"I am lucky to have multiple aunts and grandmothers who enjoy sending you home with a plate full of fresh baked goodies. I designed these baking tags for sweet people like them. After watching someone put so much care into baking brownies for the neighbors, then sticking a dull store bought "to and from" tag on them just didn't seem right."

For a chance to win your own set of personalized baking tags, leave a comment here telling how you would like your tags personalized.

For additional chances at winning:

1. Visit the Farouche shop and tell me what other items you like. Christy has some awesome note cards and gift tags to offer.

2. Link to this giveaway in a post.

The deadline for entries is Saturday, March 7, at midnight!

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