Mom's Test Meal Mondays #26

 

Welcome to another Monday y'all!!!

 

Before we get to last week's features & this week's party I want to make sure y'all head over & enter these 2 awesome giveaways I've got going on right now!!!

 

My Great Birthday Giveaway

 

&

 

The Amazing Kindle Fire Giveaway

 

 

So y'all go enter really quick, I'll wait...

 

Awesome, now that you're back let's talk about some features!!!

 

Here are a few of my favs from last week's party:

 

 

BOWTIE PASTA SALAD by Posed Perfection:

I love pasta salads & any dish that I can make ahead of time for dinner!!  Plus the flavors sound excellent!

 

PEANUT BUTTER ICE CREAM by Steak N Potatoes Kinda Gurl:

This recipe alone could convince me to buy an ice cream maker

 

CHICKEN PASTA SALAD by The Thriftiness Miss:

Another great make ahead meal & y'all know how I love my carbs!!

 

ORANGE VANILLA CUPCAKES by Organized Island:

One of the best flavor combos ever plus I absolutely love those jelly orange candies ~ like eat a whole bag in one sitting love

 

Now for the most viewed...

 



VALENTINE'S DAY CAKE POP BITES by Happy Food Healthy Life:

I think these are absolutely adorable! I completely see why they were the most viewed link!!

 

 

All of y'all feel free to grab a features button! And congratulations!!

The features will be pinned to my MTM Monday's Features Pinterest Board which you can check out HERE!

 

 

<a href="http://momstestkitchen.blogspot.com"> <img src="http://i1171.photobucket.com/albums/r558/jailynmtk/featured1.jpg" border="0"/> </a>

So now let's party!

 

The party is open to any and all of your favorite recipes!!

Just the reminders:

 

• I would love to have you as a new friend!! Please take a minute to follow via GFC, Twitter, FB, or any other social media you prefer
• You are welcome to link up any recipe you like but please only link up a total of 3 recipes.
• Please feel free to grab the button in the sidebar or add a direct link back to the week's party that you are linking up to
• And finally, go make some new friends ~ spend a few minutes checking out some other recipes that you might want to try out yourself & comment! Everyone loves comments!!
• Please note that by linking up you are giving permission for your picture & post to be pinned to the Mom's Test Meal Mondays Pinterest board
• Please note that by linking up you are giving permission to use the photos along with a link back to your post in the Mom's Test Meal Mondays Features post & on Mom's Test Kitchen's Social Media Networks
  
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The Amazing Kindle Fire Giveaway

 

I'm just going giveaway crazy right now!!!

 

Be sure to head over & enter my Great B-Day Giveaway

plus you still have time to enter This Huge Giveaway 2013!!!

 

 

Then come back to enter to get your hands on this...

 

 

I'm so excited to be teaming up with a wonderful group of bloggers to offer one of YOU

 

a Kindle Fire

+

a $50 Amazon giftcard

to load that baby up!!!

 

 

You want to see the wonderful group I'm talking about??

 

 

 

 

NOW TO THE GIVEAWAY!!!

 

Disclaimer:

This giveaway opens Friday January 18th, 2013 & runs through Friday January 25th, 2013. A winner will be chosen via the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted via email by Lisa of Wine & Glue.

Giveaway is open to US Residents Only

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hot Chocolate Pudding Dessert by Kristen @ Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker

I know y'all are going to love this dessert from Kristen!  I think I could eat the whole pan.  Diets be damned!!

 

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I am so pleased to be a guest here on Jaime's blog, especially to share some dessert. I blog over at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. Like my overly long title suggests, I am all about cost and sanity savings. One of my sons (I have five kids) asked me the other day, “Mom, what exactly does harried mean, 'cause you aren't really hairy?!” I tried to explain, but I am not sure he fully understands what it's like to be the mom of four teenage boys and one little girl. In the end, as long as I keep the table full of food, he and his siblings don't really care what big words I use!

 

 

When I was thinking about which dessert to share today, I kept thinking about one of my mom's favorite desserts to make, Better Thank Robert Redford. I have seen it's title updated to say Brad Pitt, but I am thinking it will need yet another actor's name before too long. Dang, I hate getting old.
 

Anyway, back to the recipe. I did a little adding here and substituting there and came up with a Hot Chocolate version that includes marshmallows and 3 Musketeer Hot Cocoa candies. Feel free to do your own fiddling with the recipe.

Hot Chocolate Pudding Dessert

Ingredients:

1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped

15 Saltine crackers, crushed into crumbs

¼ cup sugar

4 Tbsp butter, melted

5 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature

2/3 cup powdered sugar

½ tsp vanilla

8 oz Cool Whip, thawed and divided

15 Hot Cocoa 3 Musketeer mini candies, chopped

1 small pkg instant chocolate pudding

2 cups milk

½ cup mini French Vanilla marshmallows

more 3 Musketeers candies sliced for garnish

Method:

Combine walnuts, cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a bowl. Press into a 8X8 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Meanwhile, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar in a mixer. Beat until smooth. Add vanilla. Fold in ½ cup Cool Whip and chopped candies. In another bowl, mix up chocolate pudding and milk. Let sit until thickened. Stir in marshmallows. Once crust is cool, spread cream cheese layer on top. Carefully spread pudding on top of cream cheese layer. Top pudding with remaining Cool Whip. Garnish with sliced candy bars. Refrigerate until ready to serve (at least 45 minutes).

Notes:

**I normally use oreos or graham crackers for the crust. My cupboard was sadly lacking either of those, so I substituted the Saltines and sugar. It gave the dessert an unexpected but slight saltiness.

**You can leave out the nuts and add a bit more crumbs.

**You can use real whipped cream instead of Cool Whip, I think you'll need about 2 ½ cups, whipped.

**You could substitute the mint or plain version of the 3 Musketeers and marshmallows.

 

 

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