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Friday, March 29, 2013

Let Me Pintroduce You ~ with a little BlogLovin' on the side!

Good morning everyone!!  Carrie from Frugal Foodie Mama and I are so happy to have you here for our third installment of the Let Me Pintroduce You Party! :)
Last month we had 83 Pinterest accounts linked up!  Can we reach over 100 for the month of March??




Carrie and I originally brainstormed the idea for a Pinterest linky party when the two of us were emailing back and forth one day after discovering how much of our blog traffic was a direct result of some of our recipe posts being pinned and then repinned and repinned again on Pinterest.  We thought why not host a monthly Pinterest party? And thus, Let Me Pintroduce You was born! 

And this month, we have decided to add a special Bloglovin' linky seeing as how Google Reader just announced it's July 1st exit.  So after you have linked up your Pinterest accounts below, be sure to scroll down a bit and add your Bloglovin link as well! Just remember to give your hosts and co-hosts a follow. ;)

This month's party co-hosts are...


Julie from White Lights on Wednesday   &         Sarah from Fantastical Sharing of Recipes


                   White Lights on Wednesday               


Don't forget that today is the LAST DAY to enter the ~One Lucky Blogger Giveaway~!!  $70 in gift cards, 12 ad spots on 12 different blogs, & a custom photo watermark are all up for grabs to one very lucky blogger!  Be sure to get entered. :) 


So, how does the Let Me Pintroduce You Party work?  Easy!
  • Please follow Carrie (Frugal Foodie Mama) and yours truly (Mom's Test Kitchen), and this month's co-hosts Julie (Julie Espy {WLOW} and Sarah (Sarah E. {Fantastical Sharing}).
  • Try to follow at least two other Pinterest accounts that have linked up and maybe repin a few things that catch your eye while you are at. ;)
  • Grab our button above and slap it on your sidebar or your party page on your blog.  Help us spread the word! 
  • Be sure to link up your main Boards page of your Pinterest account only, not individual board pages or individual pins.
  • Then hop down to the Bloglovin' linky & do the same! 
  • Send out a tweet & let the Twitterverse know that we would like to Pintroduce them to everyone! (Just use that handy little Tweet button below. ;) )

Link up your Pinterest accounts here...


And link up your Bloglovin pages here...

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Our Family Lunch Date!

With an almost 3 year old, the Mister and I very rarely actually go out on dates.  We typically do a 'date night in' Saturday nights where we enjoy takeout & a movie from the comfort of our sofa.  This past weekend we decided to splurge a little & after church on Sunday we had a family lunch date.  Even though we were splurging, we weren't going to go all out crazy with our spending, so we decided to head down the street to BJ's Restaurant.

We really like BJ's Restaurant.  I have to pause now and say that I can never just call it BJ's ~ I always have to add the restaurant.  It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that my mind sometimes lives in an inappropriate place.  Anyway, back on track...  like I was saying we really like going to eat there.  Their food is sooo good, the Mister can keep track of whatever game is on while we're there and they still manage to somehow make a Brewhouse kid-friendly!  Princess P loves their crayons ~ they are triangle shaped ;)

Showing Momma her triangle crayons

Typically when we do go out to eat, the Mister & I will share a plate so it prevents either one of us from overeating!  That was our plan going in to lunch & then we saw the amazing new special they have going on ~ THE PARTY FOR TWO!  With the Party For Two, you get to pick either a soup or salad to start off with.  Then you get your choice of any of their medium deep dish pizzas.  And finally the icing on the cake?  End your meal with any of their Famous Pizookie desserts!!  All that food for just under $20!  We were sold!

my delicious Caesar salad

We both started out with a Caesar salad.  For some reason, I just think you can't have pizza with any other type of salad but Caesar.  No clue why.  I'm weird.  I let the Mister pick out the pizza we were going to share & I didn't fully pay attention to which one he decided on.  Even though the man knows I have a serious aversion to mushrooms, he orders the pizza covered in fungi.  Sometimes I think he does these things on purpose.  But he loves them & I could pick them off so all was good. 

the Great White Pizza ~
you know the pizza's good when the cheese starts to fall off when you pick up your piece!

The pizza was big enough that even with us sharing it, there was still leftovers for us to box up & take home!  It could have also been partly because I knew I had to save room for the Famous Pizookie, which I had never had before!!  And oh my heavens, it did not disappoint!  We got the original Pizookie but had I known the Mister wasn't going to eat any of it, I so would have gone with the Peanut Butter version.  Next time ~ I've got until the end of April to convince him we need to go back! :)

taking my first bite of awesomeness

Princess P digging in

I'd say the Pizookie got her stamp of approval!

So, if y'all have any date nights or girls night outs planned or just want to eat out on a good deal, you should seriously head over to your local BJ's Restaurant & try out the Party For Two!  You've got until April 29th to take advantage of the deal!!

To stay up to date on the latest happenings of BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, you can stalk them here:


Disclosure:
This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Bj’s Restaurants but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #Bjsrestaurants http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Wonderful Food Wednesday

Wonderful Food Wednesday - Week #30
 
With March flying by it is becoming more and more like Springtime around here. What better inspiration than Spring to try a new recipe.

We loved all of the Spring & Easter themed recipes y'all linked up last week!  The combo of salty & sweet is always a winner in our book so this Easter Candy Popcorn from Posed Perfection really caught our eye!!


It looks like a perfect snack for after an Easter Egg hunt!!  Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe Nici!

 
Wonderful Food Wednesday

Rules:
1. Follow your hosts Kerrie @ Family Food and Travel
and Jessica @ All She Cooks  and Jamie at Mom's Test Kitchen
*If you are a new follower please leave us a message/comment so that we can hop on over for a visit.
2. Visit as many blogs as you can, leave comments, follow and grab their recipes.
If you are interested in guest hosting for a week, please send an email to twinstravelblog (at) gmail (dot) com

Monday, March 25, 2013

When Cooking Isn't An Option #FrozenFacts

I know I have told y'all before but I, for the most part, cook dinner for our little family 6 days a week.  Every week.  It never ends...  Sometimes, though, spending even 30 minutes standing in my kitchen isn't an option.  When these times happen, when I'm not able to prepare a healthy, semi-homemade dinner for the family, I like to have healthy back up options that are easy enough to make so the Mister can handle feeding himself.  This is why we both love the ConAgra Foods Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers.  The Mister & I both love Asian flavors & Healthy Choice has an amazing line of Asian Inspired Cafe Steamers!

ConAgra Foods Healthy Choice Asian Inspired Pineapple Chicken Cafe Steamer


Now, I know some of y'all are probably thinking, I could simply do some freezer cooking and still have homemade meals available for nights I'm not able to cook.  You're probably saying to yourself there's no way that frozen 'tv dinner' is a healthy alternative to a homemade meal.  Or you could be saying there's no way that frozen meal tastes anywhere near as good as a homemade plate of food.  And with some of the choices out there, you'd be right!  But that's exactly why we love Healthy Choice ~  not only do they provide automatic portion control but the meals are made with simple, fresh ingredients.  Another reason we really love Healthy Choice meals is because they offer quite a few meatless options & that is not something you often find with frozen meals!

ConAgra Foods Healthy Choice Asian Inspired Pineapple Chicken Cafe Steamer

So how about it ~ next time you're running short on time for dinner and are tempted to just take the easy way out of hitting up that drive thru, why not allow ConAgra Foods to let you put something healthier on the table instead?!




ConAgra Foods frozen meals give families access to real ingredients like crunchy, freshly cut vegetables, homemade pasta and ripe fruit year-round. Just like most people blanch veggies before freezing them – ConAgra Foods does too – to help preserve color, texture and keep them fresh!
Give it a try sometime! Marie Callender’s hearty pot pies are filled with tender meat, freshly cut vegetables and Marie’s authentic golden, flaky crust. And Healthy Choice recipes use chef-inspired ingredients like, apples instead of sugar for tart sweetness and a splash of red wine for a punch of flavor instead of added salt.


ConAgra-Foods

Disclaimer:
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of ConAgra Foods.  All opinions are my own.

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies #SecretRecipeClub

I'm so excited to be joining in another month of the Secret Recipe Club!!  This month my blog assignment was Without Adornment



I'm going to be honest and say that I was nervous picking out a recipe.  Bean's blog is a gluten-free & sometimes other allergy free blog!  I know absolutely NOTHING about gluten free recipes & products & cooking!!  But I loved reading through her posts and recipes and learning more about gluten-free cooking.  I finally decided to try her Gluten Free White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies with Cranberries.  Since we don't have the allergies here in the Test Kitchen, I adapted her recipe to fit what I had in my pantry & we loved these cookies!  The Mister ate 6 out of the first dozen that came out of the oven!!








CRANBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES
YIELD: 4-5 dozen cookies
 
INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 & 1/2 cups quick cook oats
  • 1 & 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cups brown sugar
  • 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

COOKING DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a bowl, mix together oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the egg, milk & vanilla until light and fluffy.
  4. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients until just combined.
  5. Fold in the cranberries and chocolate chips.
  6. Drop dough by the 1/2 tablespoonful onto a cookie sheet.
  7. Bake for 11 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned and just set, depending on the size of your cookie and how crispy you want it to be.
  8. Let cool on baking sheet for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
 
 
 
Secret Recipe Club

Saturday, March 23, 2013

One Lucky Blogger #Giveaway

 
Pin It


Every once in a while it is nice to throw together a group giveaway to show another fellow blogger a little love and support.  As bloggers, we appreciate ALL of our readers.  But we also know that many of our biggest supporters and most loyal readers are other fellow bloggers. :)  

March is known for the luck of the Irish, and leprechauns, and pots of gold at the ends of rainbows.  And this month could also be a VERY lucky one for one fortunate blogger out there.   Frugal Foodie Mama and 17 of her lovely March sponsors have teamed up to give one blogger the ultimate prize pack...

~$25 Etsy Gift Card~
A blogger can find everything they need on etsy from web design services to cute note cards to send with swap packages.
~$25 Target Gift Card~
What blogger doesn't love Target?? ;)
~$20 Starbucks Gift Card~
To fuel all of those marathon blogging sessions
+
~A custom photo watermark from Hummingbird's View~
12 ad spots on 12 different blogs!!
The right exposure & promotion is blogger gold!

There is just one mandatory entry for the giveaway- you do have to be a blogger to win the One Lucky Blogger Giveaway, so the first mandatory entry is to prove that you do indeed have a blog. :) Easy, peasy.  After that, all other entries are optional.

Now, let's meet the lovely giveaway sponsors...
 
 
~Kendra from Adventures of Brad & Kendra~ Ultimate Adventure ad for 30 days
~Julie from This Gal Cooks~
~Carrie from Frugal Foodie Mama~ A Pin-t Ad for April
~Julie from White Lights on Wednesday~ 250 x 250 ad for April
~Kendra from The Flower Hazard~ The Big Bang ad (250 x 250) for a month
~Raquel from Organized Island~

 
~Leanne from Top This by Leanne~ 200 x 100 ad for 30 days
~Aubrey from Homegrown & Healthy~ 200 x 200 ad for a month
~Jaime from Mom's Test Kitchen~ 300 x 100 ad for a month
~Melissa from Melissa's Cuisine~ an ad spot for a month
~Kathe from Kathe With an E~
~Sarah from Fantastical Sharing of Recipes~ an ad spot for a month


~Katie from Clarks Condensed~ an ad spot for one month
~Lisa from Wine & Glue~ custom photo watermark
~Laurie from love, laurie~ 150 x 150 ad spot for two months
~Evelyn from My Turn for Us~ 225 x 225 ad spot for 30 days

*This giveaway is open internationally. You MUST be a blogger with an active blog to win. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified, so please make sure you are doing what you are claiming in the Rafflecopter or all your entries will be voided.  No funny business, folks. ;). By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. Number of entries received determines the odds of winning. One winner will be selected. This is a giveaway sponsored as a group buy, which means the bloggers pooled their money together to purchase this product for you.  Target, etsy, & Starbucks are not sponsors of this giveaway.  Any & all social media outlets used in the Rafflecopter are not sponsors of the giveaway or are responsible for this giveaway in any way.  Gift card prizes will be sent as egifts via Carrie of Frugal Foodie Mama.  Each individual blogger that has provided ad space for the giveaway is responsible for awarding the winner their ad spots in a timely manner.  Protected tweets do not count as an entry method for tweeting. Tweets must come from a public account. Bloggers in this group giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.

Please see the Rafflecopter widget below for additional Terms & Conditions.  Good luck, all! 
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, March 22, 2013

Nutella Monkey Muffins

 
 

So I need to make a confession to y'all.  I am soooo not a breakfast eater.  My breakfast consists of a really big glass of sweet tea most mornings.  But I do have this little precious 2 year old that likes to eat before noon so I am always on the lookout for healthy, kid-friendly breakfast options!  This muffin ~ or cupcake as she calls it ~ has been a big hit!
 



NUTELLA MONKEY MUFFINS
YIELD: 6 dozen

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 bananas
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup Nutella
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

COOKING DIRECTIONS:
  1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter & brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well incorporated after each one. Beat in the bananas, peanut butter, Nutella, milk & vanilla. Combine the flour & baking soda; add to the creamed mixture just until moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  2. Fill paper-lined mini muffin cups 3/4 of the way full ~ I used a 1/2 tablespoon measuring spoon. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for about 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cupcakes are freezer friendly: to freeze simply wrap the muffins in foil & freeze for up to 3 months. To use frozen muffins: thaw at room temperature
 

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies #SurpriseRecipeSwap


Welcome to another round of the Surprise Recipe Swap!!  This month I was honored to get to pick a recipe from Jessica over at Simple, Clean & Homemade



I was actually torn between two of Jessica's recipes ~ she has so many great ones to pick from!  I finally decided to try out her Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies.  Y'all know how bad of a sweet tooth I have, it's impossible for me to pass up a good dessert!  These cookies had a great flavor, the only thing that I wasn't a huge fan of was that the cookies were crispy.  I'm a soft & chewy cookie lover.  But I still ate them! ;)

#chocolate #cookies #dessert


The chocolate frosting, now that was awesome!  The Mister thought it tasted like chocolate mousse & he kept sticking his finger in the bowl while I was frosting the cookies!  For someone who doesn't have a sweet tooth, him eating straight from the bowl is a huge sign of approval!! :)

#chocolate #cookies #dessert

 

CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINT COOKIES
YIELD: about 3 dozen
 
INGREDIENTS FOR COOKIES:
  • 1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 2 cups flour
  • sprinkles (optional)
 
INGREDIENTS FOR FROSTING:
  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup milk
COOKING DIRECTIONS:
  1. Cream the butter and vanilla together in a large bowl. Slowly add the powdered sugar and salt. When combined, add the cornstarch and flour.
  2. Place the dough in to the refrigerator for at least two hours.
  3. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll the dough into 1/2 tablespoon sized balls. {OPTIONAL} Roll all but the top of the dough ball in the sprinkles.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees on an ungreased baking sheet for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, make an indentation in each cookie ~ I used my 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon. Continue baking for another 5-8 minutes.
  5. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Frost when cooled.
  6. FOR THE FROSTING ~ In a large bowl, add the butter and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.  Add the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, vanilla & salt. With the electric mixer on low, add the milk a little at a time until the frosting is the desired consistency.  Mix on high 2-3 minutes.   
 
 
Just in case y'all were wondering, Jessica's Garlic Naan Bread was the runner up recipe I was deciding between!  I'm pretty confident that it will still be making an appearance in the Test Kitchen soon! :)
 
 
Interested in joining the Surprise Recipe Swap?  We'd love to have you!!  Find out more here:
HungryLittleGirl

Southwestern Pasta Casserole

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SPRING Y'ALL!!!

Today I am over at Love Bakes Good Cakes sharing a wonderfully tasty & easy dinner option!  My friend Jamie is in the middle of moving cross country so myself & a few friends have hi-jacked her blog while she's on the road!! ;)

Head on over & check out the recipe!  Here's a sneaky peek for ya!!

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Wonderful Food Wednesday

Wonderful Food Wednesday - Week #29
 
With Kerrie away on a trip through the Southern United States, she cannot wait to come back and make some of the recipes she's tried.
Until then, we are all looking forward to seeing what has been cooking in your kitchen.
 
Wonderful Food Wednesday

There were SO many great recipes that linked up last week that it was hard to choose just one recipe and blogger to feature this week, but Bridget at What's Cooking in the Burbs had us at Loaded Potato and Cajun!  Her Loaded Potato Cajun Chicken Skillet one-pot meal looks and sounds like a sensational dinner and has our mouths watering!
 
loaded potato and cajun chicken skillet
 
Congratulations Bridget!
 
So now lets par-tay!!
 
Rules:
1. Follow your hosts Kerrie @ Family Food and Travel
and Jessica @ All She Cooks  and Jaime @ Mom's Test Kitchen
*If you are a new follower please leave us a message/comment so that we can hop on over for a visit.
2. Visit as many blogs as you can, leave comments, follow and grab their recipes.
 
If you are interested in guest hosting for a week, please send an email to twinstravelblog (at) gmail (dot) com

Monday, March 18, 2013

Saving $$ On The Little #SimplyRightBabyCare

So, I'm going to step out of the kitchen today and talk with y'all about probably the second most important thing in my mommy duties ~ saving $$.  I've shared with y'all before that we are a one income family so every chance I can get to stretch those dollars, I take it!  I pray for the day to come that Princess P becomes potty trained so that the insane cost of diapers are a thing of the past.  Sadly though, that time does not seem to be coming as soon as this momma hopes for so I just continue to look for the best deals I can find on diapers.




I have never been tied to name brands when it comes to diapers, except for ones used for over night.  I just HAVE NOT had success in finding a diaper, generic or name brand, that does not leak during the long over night hours.  I would just end up buying diapers a size larger for Princess P to sleep in but that requires even more money because now I am having to buy two different packs of diapers just to avoid having to wash sheets.  When I was given the opportunity to try out the Simply Right™ Diapers, my first thought was that these diapers would be great for the day time but I still would need a separate diaper for the night time.  Boy, was I wrong!!  I decided to give them a try & let Princess P sleep in the Simply Right™ diapers and I was amazed the next morning when she woke up & was completely dry!  No wet clothes, no wet sheets, no laundry!!  {This is where I jump for joy!}

#diapers #ad
THINKING HARD ABOUT HER TOYS

So not only have I found a diaper that provides a leak protection I can actually count on, but I also have found one that could save me up to an average of $392 a year!?!  Simply Right™ just won this momma over!!

#diapers #ad
SHE LOVED THE SIMPLY RIGHT™ WIPES

 


#diapers #ad
SHOWING OFF HER WIPE TO MOMMA


 
#diapers #ad
WIPES MAKE A GOOD HAT,
JUST IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING ;)

 
 So, now tell me, what would you do with an extra $392??
 
 
 
 
For a FREE sample of SIMPLY RIGHT™ diapers or wipes, visit Simply Right™ today!
 
 
DISCLOSURE:
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of SIMPLY RIGHT™ Baby Care Products.  All opinions are my own.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Lemon Citrus Cookies #SundaySupper

Spring has sprung!!  I'm so happy for the warmer days!  The longer days!  I love the sunshine, wearing flip flops, the time of year before it gets to be a miserable Texas summer.



Spring is the season I wished never ended.  The weather is perfect.  The colors of the blooming flowers & trees are beautiful.  Kids are out playing.  It's the time of year where you need shorts during the day and a blanket to cuddle up with at night.  And I love it!



One of my other favorite things about Spring is the fresh citrus that starts becoming available again.  Fresh oranges, fresh limes, fresh lemons ~ they all scream Spring!  What's your favorite part of the season??


 





LEMON CITRUS COOKIES
YIELD: 4 dozen
 
INGREDIENTS:
  • 3 small lemons
  • 1/2 cup turbinado (raw) sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

COOKING DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a small bowl, zest all of the lemons. Remove about 2 teaspoons of the zest and place in a separate bowl. Add the 1/2 cup of turbinado sugar to the 2 teaspoons of zest. Combine with a fork and set aside.
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and the 1 cup of granulated sugar. Beat for 1-2 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Beat until combined. Slowly add in the remaining zest and the lemon juice.
  4. Scoop the dough into 1/2 tablespoon size balls. Then roll them in the turbinado sugar & zest mixture, coating generously. Place the ball on cookie sheet and repeat. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove and cool on wire rack.  
 
RECIPE INSPIRED BY: Shugary Sweets
 
    

Come see what other Spring & Green dishes are being served up today for #SundaySupper!!
  
Green and Spring Dishes Menu Includes:
Breakfast
Apps, Bread, Salads, Soups and Dressings:
Main and Sides:
Desserts:
Beverages:

Please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper. We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 p.m. EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat where we’ll talk about our favorite Springtime recipes!

All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat!