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Packing Lunches with Udi’s Gluten-Free Foods

I was shocked to find out that so many people I know have switched from pork bacon to turkey bacon. I am without a doubt a huge bacon lover so even getting myself to try it was a big ordeal. You can of course taste the difference but it’s really not bad! The boys have actually come to like it too. What I like about it most is knowing there is not all that grease in the pan when it’s done cooking. I know, I know, that’s the best part right?

I am certain this is not an original idea but it was one of those, open the fridge, look in and grab, dinner moments. Really simple and really delicious. I am a big fan of Applegate Naturals bacon for a number of reasons.

It is all natural, no antibiotics used, gluten free, casein free, not preserved, minimally processed, no artificial ingredients and a lot more. I purchase mine at Kroger so there is a very good chance you can find this at your local grocery store. Applegate isn’t just limited to bacon either. They make a wide variety of products from hot dogs to lunch meats!

Here is their entire line!

Ingredients:

5 Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts
12 strips of ApplegateBacon
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Slice your chicken long ways in half, making them more like a tender shape.

Season each side of your chicken with a little salt and pepper. You can really use any spices that you want for this step. I just used my house seasoning which is just salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Wrap a piece of bacon around each tender. I made some with pork bacon and some with turkey bacon. I was just interested to see the flavoring difference. I liked them both personally.

I did cook them in two smaller pans as to avoid all of the grease getting onto the turkey ones.

Cover each pan and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree over for 30 minutes. At this point, you want to uncover the chicken and turn the broiler on for just a few minutes. All you are really looking to do here is make the bacon a little crispy. If you like it on the softer side, by all means, skip this step and eat!

I happened to have some Kraft Smokin Bacon Ranch dipping sauce on hand so I figured, why not! There is no such thing as to much bacon!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Applegate Naturals. Any opinions, ideas and text expressed here are my own whether positive or negative. This post is not endorsed, sponsored or has any connection to Twitter, Facebook or any other Social Media network that may be mentioned.
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It’s cookies making season! It’s also the season to give the gift of goodies. While Christmas just 13 days away, (OMG really?!) we all love to eat a tasty treat. We try to behave but they just look so good! The Mason Jar Cookie Company offers custom jars of cookie mix (you pick the base & several high quality mix-ins), creatively and beautifully packaged in a mason jar, for no-fuss baking this holiday season and beyond! These are the absolute perfect gift for the person in your life who may not be really big on baking. Everything is pre-measured for you. You just add a few ingredients like an egg or some butter and bake! Are you like me and spend forever looking on Pinterest for Recipes For Cookies? No more!

The Mason Jar Cookie Company provides everything you need to create your own customizable gifts that put a twist on classic recipes for cookies. Think you can’t have delicious cookies because you only eat Gluten-Free products? Guess what?! Mason Jar Cookie gifts even come in Gluten-Free options!

These are customizable! The hardest part will be choosing your ingredients from their four cookie bases and 35 add-ins. 35! After that they do all the work! When your custom cookie mix arrives, it’s creatively and beautifully packaged in a mason jar, for no-fuss homemade cookies this holiday season and beyond! Ready to bake those chocolate cookies you’ve been drooling over since you ordered? Simply pour your jar of chocolate cookie mix into a bowl and add the dairy ingredients per the instructions right before baking. (In most cases this is butter and an egg, although some base mixes call for a little milk or water.) Ours called for a little Vanilla. The average price of one custom-made cookie jar is only $19, though price varies depending on which ingredients you choose.

I used to live so close to IHOP that we would walk there. Since I have moved, it’s still very close but it’s a “load up the Jeep” distance now. I could probably walk there but after eating, I would have to be rolled back! We don’t eat out as much as we used to because there just doesn’t seem to be enough time anymore. With baseball, twice the homework due to having 2 in school this year and just being busy.

Eating out can be quite costly as well and IHOP knows this!  IHOP has been inspiring American breakfast for over 50 years, and is now introducing amazing values to delight breakfast lovers everywhere. Now you can get all of your IHOP breakfast favorites in a combo for only $4.99! Yes, I did say just $4.99! Their new weekday classic offers  2 of IHOP’s famous fluffy buttermilk pancakes served with 2 eggs, your choice of 2 bacon strips or 2 pork sausage links and a side of golden hash browns. I am a ham kind of a girl so I get mine with extra. This great deal is avaliable Monday through Friday all day and night! Our IHOP is open 24 hours too!

Just think, you and your sweetie can go have breakfast for $10. That is simply unheard of these days! I just love IHOP’s hash browns. Who am I kidding, I love hash browns period! Check out their delicious menu!

We had a table filled on the morning we went! Yes, we had chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks at 6 am… SHHHHH… I am not a big fan of butter on my pancakes and I always forget to tell them to leave it off. That is why mine look a little yucky in the photo. The butter just melts way to fast and you end up with soggy pancakes… blech!

Because I love you all, I want you to have breakfast with your sweetie(s) too! Whether it is your wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, kids or even a parent! Enter below to win a $50 IHOP Gift Card!

Disclosure: I was compensated in some form for this post. This post is not endorsed, sponsored or has any connection to Twitter, Facebook or any other Social Media network that may be mentioned. It is the sole property of MAK Media, LLC.  All opinions are 100% mine, honest and not persuaded, whether positive or negative, by any compensation. If I don’t like something, I will say so! Please take a moment to read our Policy Disclosure.

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These were so fast and easy to make that Spencer did them! We all loved the perfect balance of chocolate and peanut butter. They were moist and delicious! I can’t wait to try the others.

Make the mix and spoon into the cupcake papers. Sprinkle with the topping and bake. That's it!

Bake and eat!

Disclosure: MAK Media was compensated with product for this post. This post is not endorsed, sponsored or has any connection to Twitter, Facebook or any other Social Media network that may be mentioned. This post is the sole property of MAK Media, LLC.  All opinions are mine whether positive or negative. You can read more about our Policy Disclosure here.

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If you have been following me long enough, it’s no secret I’m a pasta junkie. I love to make spaghetti gravy and cream based sauces but, sometimes I want the meal without the mess or time spent preparing them. I mean, after a long day, preparing a delicious home-cooked meal can be quite a challenge, and getting started is often the hardest part. While there is nothing that can take the place of Mom’s cooking from scratch, new Progresso Recipe Starters cooking sauces give you a head start to a home cooked meal!  Maybe you are not the from scratch type of cook, and that’s ok!
Progresso Recipe Starters sauces will be available in five flavorful varieties that can each be used as a starter to create numerous home-cooked meals. Inspired by the five “Mother” Sauces that form the basis of classical French cooking, including Béchamel, Velouté, Tomato, Espagnole and Hollandaise, Recipe Starters use a variety of ingredients and the best techniques to make sure your family has endless solutions to the weeknight dinner dilemma. The five varieties are:

• Creamy Parmesan Basil: This creamy, full-bodied and indulgent sauce that was inspired by alfredo and creamy pesto sauces can be used to make meals such as Crispy Garlic-Parmesan Chicken, Creamy Chicken Alfredo, Basil Chicken Ravioli Carbonara and Basil Chicken Thai Noodle
• Creamy Roasted Garlic with Chicken Stock: With caramelized, roasted chicken broth, garlic and a touch of cream, this stock is perfect for dishes such as Creamy Lemon Chicken, Chicken Pot Pie and Chicken Enchiladas
• Fire Roasted Tomato: A medium-thick tomato sauce, accompanied by flavors of roasted, caramelized tomatoes, oregano and bell peppers, which can be used as a great way to begin creating  Pulled Chicken Sandwiches, Easy Weeknight Chicken Parmesan, Cheese-stuffed Mini Meat Loaves and Mole Tacos
• Creamy Portabella Mushroom: Creamy and highly indulgent, this smooth sauce is rich with sautéed Portabella mushrooms,  giving you any easy way to start decedent meals like Easy Weeknight Beef Stroganoff, Steak and Mushroom Sandwich and Tetrazzini
• Creamy Three Cheese: Rich and creamy with a blend of yellow and white cheeses, and a savory background of chicken stock, onion, garlic and cracked pepper, this is a great way to satisfy cheese lovers with Easy Weeknight Bacon Mac & Cheese, Twice-Baked Potato Pizza and Cheesy Egg Breakfast Tacos

I have to tell you I was bot impressed with this line at all. It is quite possible that because I cook from scratch a lot of the time, my standards were to high. I found all of the flavors to be very bland. Even after attempting to doctor the Creamy Three Cheese, it still didn’t taste right to me. If you try them, please come back and tell me what you thought! Not everyone loves the same things

For added inspiration, Progresso created 80 recipes utilizing this new line of cooking sauces that can be found on Progresso.com. Many of these recipes are classic family favorites, such as Bacon Mac n’ Cheese, Chicken Pot Pie and Chicken Parmesan, and utilize ingredients your family may already have on-hand.  Progresso Recipe Starters is available in stores now so look for them in the soup aisles!

Disclosure: MAK Media was compensated with product for this post. This post is not endorsed, sponsored or has any connection to Twitter, Facebook or any other Social Media network that may be mentioned. This post is the sole property of MAK Media, LLC.  All opinions are mine whether positive or negative. You can read more about our Policy Disclosure here.

When I was younger, it became a tradition to go to Hershey Park each year on my birthday. Sadly that tradition ended about 10 years ago but it was always so much fun!  Hmmm…. yes… most of us can not turn down chocolate so how can you not love a day spend smelling it? I can’t forget tasting it through out the day either. Hershey’s is an amazing company that has so many different products out there. Unless you are a complete chocolate scrooge, you are bound to find something you will love. The Hershey Company is the largest producer of quality chocolate in North America!

Chocolate lovers have a reason to celebrate!  Hershey’s Simple Pleasures Chocolates is a new delicious line of chocolates with 30 percent less fat compared to the average of the leading milk chocolates.  They are individually wrapped for easy portion control, making them the perfect afternoon sweet snack.

This new line is available in 3 varieties which includes, Milk Chocolate with Chocolate Crème, Dark Chocolate with Chocolate Crème and Milk Chocolate with Vanilla Crème.  These are a very smooth and creamy chocolate. I am not a big fan of Dark Chocolate so all I can really say about these is, it’s not the worst I have ever tasted. The boys liked them as their second choice. The Milk Chocolate with the Chocolate center was my favorite. It’s not a rich chocolate where you eat one and can’t tolerate another. I actually found myself going back for more on more than one occasion. The Milk Chocolate with the Vanilla center, none of us liked this one. It seemed to leave a film in our mouths. The center flavor wasn’t very appetizing.

Disclosure: MAK Media was compensated with product for this post. This post is not endorsed, sponsored or has any connection to Twitter, Facebook or any other Social Media network that may be mentioned. This post is the sole property of MAK Media, LLC.  All opinions are mine whether positive or negative. You can read more about our Policy Disclosure here.

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It’s grilling season, and we all know how tempting it can be to over indulge during backyard BBQ’s. Personally, I am a cheeseburger kinda girl. I can’t eat a burger if it doesn’t have cheese! But, we all know that cheese can be killer on the waste line if you indulge in to much of it. Before you hold the cheese on that burger, rest assured that it’s possible to enjoy your favorite foods without all the calories. In an effort to help you create a better-for-you grilling experience for the whole family,I have teamed up with Mom Select to bring you sensible options from Weight Watchers Cheese! Are you sitting there crinkling your noise? Most “diet” food tastes bad right? I mean if it’s supposed to be better for you, it’s going to taste awful right? Being Italian, I am a big fan of cheese.. I love everything from Havarti to your basic cheddar. I wouldn’t say that I am a cheese expert or anything but, I know my cheeses. Weight Watchers Cheeses are all low in calories, fat and sodium so you don’t have to choose between these benefits and can enjoy the rewards of all three at once. Here is what I received to try… Make sure you scroll down to the “My Finding” part!

• Weight Watchers Jalapeno Pepper Gourmet Cheese Wedges
• Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Whipped Strawberry Cream Cheese Spread
• Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Whipped Onion and Chive Cream Cheese Spread
• Weight Watchers Reduced Fat PepperJack Singles

My Findings: When I opened this box I was a bit disappointed. The only thing that I was excited to try was the Whipped Onion and Chive Cream Cheese Spread. I love strawberries but I hate almost everything strawberry flavored. While I love cheese, I am not a fan of PepperJack because I don’t like the heat or the pepper flavor….. normally…

Let’s start with the Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Whipped Onion and Chive Cream Cheese Spread. It was a very creamy and easy to spread treat. I had it on a basic salt-less wheat cracker. It’s a savory whipped treat to enjoy at all times of the day, on bagels, sandwiches, veggies… whatever you like! It is also unique in its category – no one but Weight Watchers Cheese offers a reduced fat whipped onion and chive cream cheese. It has less fat than regular whipped onion and chive cream cheese, added fiber and all the flavor you want. In a two-tablespoon serving, the spread has only 60 calories and a PointsPlus value of 2. I think I might have gone over a little

Next up is Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Pepper Jack Singles. I don’t usually like individually wrapped cheese on my sandwiches. For some reason, right from the deli cheese makes a big difference. However, when making a hot sandwich, you can’t tell the difference really. These Pepper Jack individually-wrapped singles make it easy to enjoy the ooey-gooey goodness of melted cheese without all the fat and sodium of regular cheese singles. They are an excellent source of calcium with 25 percent of the recommended daily dose in every single along with 1 gram of fiber per single. Each slice has 45 calories and a PointsPlus value of 1. The claim is that the jalapeño peppers in these singles add a hint of heat to burgers, sandwiches, paninis, and more. Personally, we used them to make Grilled Turkey and Cheese sandwhiches and I didn’t think these were hot by any means. I am a baby when it comes to “hot” foods and this was very good. We also made turkey burgers and used the cheese as well. If you don’t eat turkey burgers, try them like this!

Are you getting hungry yet?! My favorite so far, the Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Whipped Strawberry Cream Cheese Spread. This decadent, fruity variety of the Original Weight Watchers Whipped Cream Cheese is the only one of its kind on the market – you won’t find reduced fat whipped strawberry cream cheese from anyone but Weight Watchers Cheese. With a fluffy, whipped consistency, each two-tablespoon serving has 60 calories, a PointsPlus value of 2, and is sure to freshen up the blandest of breakfasts. Like I mentioned earlier, big fresh strawberry fan but not a strawberry flavored fan. I was very reluctant to try this. To my surprise, the flavor is very light. It’s almost as if you don’t even taste it at first but then you get the strawberry flavor. I had this on a wheat bagel is and was devine!

I saved this one for last because it actually took me about 4 days to even get the courage to try it. The Weight Watchers Jalapeno Pepper Gourmet Cheese Wedges is a spreadable cheese that is perfect for spreading onto crackers, fruits, vegetables, bread and more as a quick, filling snack. Each rich and creamy wedge packs 2 grams of protein and 1 gram of fiber into just 30 calories, and has a PointsPlus® value of 1. Once again, as I mentioned earlier, I do not like heat or peppers. But… I had to try it! It is an extremely creamy cheese. Almost melts in your mouth. This was one a little hotter than the Pepper Jack cheese. I had a bottle of water on hand and a little sip did just fine. No lingering burn in your mouth. While it wasn’t my favorite of all I tried, it was decent for me personally. I wouldn’t buy this one because it’s not something I liked but not because it was a bad product. Have you tried any of these? What did you think? These are great products to add to your meals and not feel guilty

Do you do the Weight Watchers Program? Have you tried the cheeses? What do you think!?

If you have read this far then you deserve a coupon! Here is a printable for $1 off any Weight Watchers Cheese product, and it’s good for 30 days after it’s downloaded and printed! Happy Shopping!

Disclosure: MAK Media, LLC was compensated in some form (product, monetarily etc) for this post. I wrote this blog post while participating in a Mom Select blog campaign. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own whether positive or negative. This post is not endorsed, sponsored or has any connection to Twitter, Facebook or any other Social Media network that may be mentioned. This post is the sole property of MAK Media, LLC. You can read more about our Policy Disclosure here.

For all the coffee addicts out there, yes you, the last thing you want on a hot summer day is a cup of hot coffee. Now the exception to that rule was my amazing Dad. He loved his coffee! Even when it was 100 degrees outside, that man would poo a cup ot hot steamy coffee. I really don’t know how he could stand it but he did!

For those of us who want something cold and refreshing, but still get our coffee fix in, how about a nice Iced Coffee? I wanted to share some tips and tricks from Gevalia to help chill out and perk up your coffee this summer (and I’m not just talking brewing coffee and adding ice!) With the summer weather here and iced coffee actually costing more than hot coffee at coffee shops, (I don’t get it) here are some ways that you can create your own delicious ice coffee for a fraction of the cost!

1.       Brew the Perfect Gevalia Iced Coffee: Start with 12 slightly rounded Tbsp. of premium blend coffee, like Gevalia, a coffee with a rich Swedish heritage now available is U.S. coffee aisles, and fill to the coffee maker to the 8 cup level.  Brew, refrigerate and serve over ice. The bestGevalia roasts to use when making iced coffee are House Blend, French Roast and Espresso Roast. (images available)

2.       How to Sweeten Iced Coffee: Simple syrup!  Mix ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water in a small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate in a tightly covered container for up to one week.

3.       Cold Coffee Recipes: Tickle your taste buds by whipping up a delicious iced coffee recipe like a Lemon-Ginger Iced Coffee or a Whipaccino.  Click here for these recipes and more.

4.       How to Avoid Watery Iced Coffee: Make coffee ice cubes.  Pour chilled coffee into ice cube trays. Freeze and use in place of regular ice cubes. For extra flavor, use frozen raspberries, too!

5.       Add Summery Flavors: Vanilla, orange, coconut and more – your favorite flavor extract (¼ tsp per serving) will dissolve quickly in hot coffee. After brewing, refrigerate, stir and serve over ice.

What sets Gevalia apart from other premium coffees?

• For more than 150 years, the Swedes have been perfecting Gevalia coffee. Gevalia roasts its beans with care and the result is an exceptional taste, cup after cup. 
• In Sweden, where the citizens drink more coffee than almost anywhere else in the world, Gevalia is their preferred brand.
• Previously available online only, Gevalia is available in select stores in 10 premium varieties:

Choose one of your favorites! Traditional Roast, Traditional Roast Whole Bean, House Blend, House Blend Decaf, French Roast, French Roast Whole Bean, Colombia, Espresso Roast, Vanilla and Chocolate Mocha.

Disclosure: MAK Media, LLC wrote this post on behalf of Kraft and was compensated in some form. The opinions, ideas and stories expressed are my own whether positive or negative. This post is not endorsed, sponsored or has any connection to Twitter, Facebook or any other Social Media network that may be mentioned. This post is the sole property of MAK Media, LLC.  Please read more on our Disclosure Policy.