Konsyl Fiber Review & Giveaway

If you watch enough health related programming (or even enough television commercials) you'll find that most of use don't get the recommended daily amount of fiber.  My husband's doctor recommended that he use regular fiber supplements, so I'm always interested in finding new fiber supplements and fiber rich snacks.

We recently learned about  Konsyl, and were happy to try some of their fiber products.

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Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies

Today I've got one of my easiest desserts recipes to share with you!  I first learned to make these in the sixth grade when I was in the Future Homemakers Club (now known as Family Career and Community Leaders of America or FCCLA). 
It became an instant favorite of mine, and I immediate went home and shared it with my family.  And it's been fave easy-fix recipe of mine ever since! Ordinarily I make these around Christmas, but today with the red sprinkles on white chocolate they are a Valentine's treat!
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Apple Chai Recipe and Mini Pies Book Review and Giveaway

Photo: Spiced Cranberry Pear

The fall and holiday seasons are such great times for baking!  And there's nothing like freshly baked pies to satisfy your guests' sweet tooth (err...teeth) and make them feel right at home.

By the way, come join Love the Pie with TidyMom sponsored by Cherokee USA, Le Creuset, Wilton, Bags by Bloom and  Harvard Common Press.

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Ice Cream Happy Hour Review, Giveaway, and a Recipe

Eggnog with Brandy and Rum

The holiday entertainment season is upon us, which means lots of excuses for drinking and desserts. What better way to impress your guests at the end of a dinner party or holiday festivity than with boozy ice cream.

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Buffalo Chicken & Potato Casserole

This week I've got a super yummy recipe to share! I call it "comfort food with a kick." This Buffalo Chicken Potato Casserole is perfect for an at-home, family meal. And it would also be great for football parties and potlucks.

I first made this  several months ago, and we LOVED it! I finally got around to making it again a couple of weeks ago, and I definitely want it to be a more "regularly scheduled" meal in our house. Hope you enjoy!

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Pudding Cookies

One of the great things about hosting my linky party is that it gives me a chance to get recipes and ideas that I might not have otherwise found through regular blog surfing or hopping through links at other parties.  One blog that always shows up to the party with some standout eats and treats is Chef in Training. Back in July, they linked up these Pudding Cookies, which I made almost immediately.  And they were just scrumptious!

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Buffalo Chicken Dip

With football season in full swing, this week I've decided to share one of our favorite dips for football snacking.  I first made this dip for the 2008 Super Bowl, and at that time I served it cold.  It wasn't until the last couple of times I made it, that I decided to heat it in the microwave.  And I have to say that we enjoy it either way.  And you can also bake it in the oven if your prefer. So it's a very versatile and tasty treat, and it's also fast and convenient! Enjoy!

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Johnsonville No Ordinary Burger Review and Giveaway

The burger got a makeover, and pork lovers are celebrating!  I'm referring to new Johnsonville Bratwurst Patties and Johnsonville Italian Sausage Patties.  I love the summer grilling season, so I was really happy when I got the chance to try one of these great products.

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Lemon Pudding Pound Cake

Lemon is such an amazing flavor for summer time! As a kid, lemon desserts were always my favorite!  Since getting married I haven't tried many recipes of the lemon persuasion, as my hubby's not a fan.  But then several months ago, I had a slice of this lemon cake at a potluck, and I was totally wishing I could take the whole thing home with me!

Since then I've been on a search for the perfect lemon pound cake.  I decided to start with this recipe.  I've seen it on several sites but most recently over at Tidy Mom.  And I think I've already found my perfect lemon pound cake.  (Hubby even tried it and loved it! So...Hooray! We have a winner!)

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Homemade Fudgesicles

I am super excited to share this new recipe with you.  I originally found it over at Joy in My Kitchen, a simply wonderful recipe blog!

And you know how it is with recipes like this; you say, "Okay. This looks good, but does it taste like the stuff we get at the store?"  My answer for this one is, "Yes!"

I'm sure someone out there could tell a difference in the taste, but I have to say that I (and even my husband, the fudgesicle fanatic) were amazed at how good these were and how close they were to the fudgsicles we know and love!  So check out the recipe and go make some this week!

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Cool 4th of July Desserts

I always enjoy checking out new food ideas for 4th of July. They are so festive, fun, and patriotic! A few weeks ago I shared some Patriotic Desserts in honor of Memorial Day.  And this week I've gathered together some fun and cool treats that you can prepare for 4th of July. Hope you enjoy!

Red, White, & Blue Ice Pops from My Recipes

Ice Cream Sandwich Pops from Living Locurto

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes from Love From The Oven

Red, White, & Blue Ice Cream The Idea Room

Red, White, & Blue Parfaits from Martha Stewart

Linking up at these parties.

Red, White, and Blue Muffins (Quick, Not Homemade)

I love things that are homemade, but I also love shortcuts and convenience foods.  One thing that I love at breakfast time is a good muffin, and I must confess, I often go with muffin mixes to save time. Plus, I love the taste!

My favorite brand of muffin mixes has always been Martha White.  I think this is, in part, because you add milk to their mix, rather than water or oil. (or is it just me?)

They also have a great selection of flavors.  The flavor featured in my post today is the Wild Berry, and it's a mix of blueberry and strawberry flavors.

I chose to share these this week because 4th of July is coming up, and I thought these would be great for a 4th of July breakfast or brunch.  What do you think?

And if this idea is too simple for you, perhaps add a little cream cheese frosting to these and have some 4th of July Breakfast Cupcakes. Yum!  Or if you're not serving breakfast for the 4th, you could use the mix as a base for one of your 4th of July desserts!

I'm linking up at these parties.

Patriotic Dessert Ideas

Since Memorial Day is coming up next week (and 4th of July is just around the corner), I thought it would be fun to share some patriotic dessert ideas for this week's food post.  I found some many cute ideas as I looked on my Google Reader and on Pinterest.  Here's some of my favorites! Hope you enjoy!

Red, White, and Blue Cookie Bark from Your Home Based Mom

Patriotic Cupcake Kebobs from Zen Cupcake

Patriotic Fruit Tarts from Nothing But Country

Red, White, & Blue Chocolate Dipped Strawberries from Baking Bites

Flag Cake from Make It. Love It.

I'm linking up to these parties.

Crock Pot Chicken Cordon Bleu

Hey everyone.  This week's recipe didn't really photograph well, but I promise you, it is tasty!  I originally got this recipe from another blogger.  I believe it was a Friday Favorites link up.  I had the link saved on my computer, but the lightning killed it a couple of weeks ago, so all my favorite links are gone! So if you posted a recipe similar to this, let me know, and I'll credit you!

Anyway, the original recipe actually had honey mustard in it, but I used ranch here because we had some on hand.  I also used Swiss AND American cheese.  And the reason the ham looks funny is because I used some leftover ham pieces that I had frozen from Christmas!  Talk about delicious!  But I'm sure deli slices would great with this as well!

(Psst....come back later this week for a Publix Giveaway!)

Recipe for Crock Pot Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 slices American Cheese

8 slices Swiss cheese

2-4 slices of ham per piece of chicken (depending on what kind of ham you're using and how much you want)

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups ranch dressing

cooking spray

Directions: Spray crockpot with cooking spray.  Add water and about half of the ranch dressing.  Add chicken.  Place about half of the cheese slices on top of the chicken.  Top with remaining dressing.  Cover and cook. (Cook times will vary. Mine will cook chicken breasts in about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, but if you have an older one, it may be longer.)  About 30 minutes before cooking is complete, add your ham, and top the chicken with remaining cheese slices. Serve and enjoy!

Here's the chicken before the ham was added:

Just before serving:

Linking up at these parties.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Photo Credit: Betty Crocker

In honor of Mother's Day being yesterday, I'm sharing a recipe that always makes me think of my mom.  I have to admit, as a kid I didn't like pineapple, so when she made this, I was always wishing for her famous pound cake!  But now as an adult, I've developed a love of pineapple, so now I can give this Pineapple Upside Down Cake a thumbs up!

Recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 can (20 oz) pineapple slices in juice, drained, juice reserved

1 jar (6 oz) maraschino cherries without stems, drained

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix

Vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). In 13x9-inch pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Arrange pineapple slices on brown sugar. Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice, and arrange remaining cherries around slices; press gently into brown sugar.

Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to measure 1 1/4 cups. Make cake batter as directed on box, substituting pineapple juice mixture for the water. Pour batter over pineapple and cherries.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes (42 to 48 minutes for dark or nonstick pan) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Place heatproof serving plate upside down onto pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake 5 minutes so brown sugar topping can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Cool 30 minutes. Serve warm or cool. Store covered in refrigerator.

Linking up to these parties.

Waffles with Syrup and Peanut Butter

My husband's birthday is on Monday.  We'll be going out to eat for dinner, but for breakfast I'll be making one of his favorites.  One thing that he absolutely loves is waffles (or pancakes), specifically with peanut butter on top!

Before we go any further, I must ask a question or two. Has anyone ever heard of this?  Has anyone ever had this?  Is anyone out there a "Waffles/Pancakes with Peanut Butter" fan?  If you are, you have to leave a comment because my husband will totally get a kick out of it! Truly! 

He absolutely loves this stuff, and he loves to recommend it to people!  And he loves it even more when he finds someone who likes it or when  he can get someone to try it out, and they like it.

No actual recipe goes with this.  Just make your waffles or pancakes, and spread (or glob) a little peanut butter on each one.  Then top with syrup. Very easy!  And besides the great taste, the other great thing about this is that it gives you some extra protein to start out your day, and I'd say it's probably a lot healthier than using that old butter I'm always having.

And since I'm not sharing a recipe, instead I've got a quick story about the peanut butter.  My husband likes this stuff so much that he will actually carry a small jar of peanut butter into the Cracker Barrel  or IHOP for breakfast! And he is very proud of it!

In fact, we'd only been dating a few months when he asked me to smuggle a jar of peanut butter in to the Cracker Barrel.   And just to show how in love (or how crazy) I was, I did it! And I'm here to tell you now that I would not do something like that even that for myself!  I would be way too embarrassed! 

And believe me, you do get some strange looks from the waiter and people at the tables around you when you pull a peanut jar out of your purse!  One waiter even gave a shocked and puzzled look when he walked by and saw some strange substance on hubby's pancakes.  He was relieved to find it was just peanut butter!

So this should stand as a testimony of how loving and dedicated I am!  Or maybe it's just a testimony about how much my husband loves peanut butter on his waffles and pancakes! 

This post is sponsored by Petite Rouge. Are you looking for the perfect finishing touch? Petite Rouge has it. Simple, elegant blossoms to brighten up any outfit. Dainty enough for your smallest princess. Sophisticated enough for your growing girls. Clip on a headband or wear alone. 

If you'd like to sponsor some posts on my blog, just send me an email for details!

Frozen Mint Cups

I was in the mood for something minty, when I put on my thinking cap and came up with these Frozen Mint Cups.  These are really sweet and yummy without being too rich, and they are very easy to make.  So if you're kids like chocolate mint, you may want to consider making something like this for St. Patrick's Day (or just make them for yourself, either way).  Hope you enjoy!

Recipe for Frozen Mint Cups:

Ingredients:
1 8oz whipped topping
2 teaspoons mint extract
a few drops food coloring
36 chocolate mint cookies

Directions:  Add mint extract to whipped topping. Mix well to distribute the flavor.  Add a few drops of food coloring and stir in. Add more if you like, to get your desired hue.  Take about 24 chocolate mint cookies and crush them in a food processor, or place in a ziplok bag and crush with a rolling pin or other kitchen utensil. 

Line a muffin tin with cupcake wrappers. (This recipe makes about 12.)  Pour the crushed cookies into cupcake liners.  You'll want to use almost all the crushed cookies, leaving just enought to garnish the top of your mint cups.  Next spoon your whipped topping mixture evenly into each mufin cup.  Garnish with remaining crushed cookies, and then stick an uncrushed cookie in the center of each cup.  Chill in the freezer until ready to serve. 

I'm linking up at these parties.

Meatball Subs and Publix Italian Days Giveaway

Stir up authentic Italian flavors and bring your family together around the dinner table during Italian Days at Publix! Now you can share the taste of a home-cooked Italian meal in the comfort of your own kitchen without spending a fortune.

From February 17th through March 2nd, visit your local Publix to take advantage of the great savings on some of your favorite General Mills brands such as Progresso, Green Giant, Pillsbury, Muir Glen and Totino´s, and save $5 when you purchase 20 participating products.

While visiting Italian Days at Publix, you can also enter the Publix Italian Days Sweepstakes, sponsored by General Mills, for a chance to win one of four grand prizes of $10,000 worth of free groceries or one of 200 $100 Publix gift cards being given as prizes.

There are three easy ways to enter for a chance to win the Sweepstakes. Enter via phone, mail or at ClickCallMail.com - a convenient one-stop website, where you´ll also be able to download great coupon savings on some of your favorite General Mills brands and other great offers from Publix.

Here´s how it works:

Click - Stay up to date with the latest General Mills promotions happening at Publix by visiting ClickCallMail.com. Once you´re registered and logged in, you can participate in any current promotions.

Call - If you´d prefer to enter the sweepstakes and participate in other promotions via telephone, feel free to call the General Mills/Publix hotline, at 1.800.627.6059, and be sure to say that you want to enter the Publix Italian Days Sweepstakes. Please be sure to provide your complete contact information (Full name/address/zip code/phone #).

Mail - If you prefer to participate via mail-in entry, print and mail your complete contact information (Full Name/address/zip code/phone #) to P.O. Box 43425 Atlanta, GA 30336 and be sure to write "Publix Italian Days Sweepstakes" on the outside of the envelope.

Photo Credit

I absolutely love meatball subs! I found this yummy recipe for them at Pillsbury.com.  It features just a couple of the participating products featured in Publix Italian days. Give it a try!

Recipe for Italian Meatball Subs

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. bulk Italian pork sausage

1/4 cup Progresso® Plain Bread Crumbs

1 small onion, chopped

1 egg

1 (15-oz.) can pizza sauce

2 cans (11 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated crusty French loaf

4 oz. (1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions: Bake bread as directed on package. In medium bowl, combine ground beef, sausage, bread crumbs, onion and egg; mix well. Shape into 16 (1 1/2-inch) balls.

In medium skillet, cook meatballs over medium heat for 5 minutes or until browned, turning frequently. Drain. Add pizza sauce. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 12 to 15 minutes or until meatballs are thoroughly cooked.

Slice each loaf open, sandwich-style. Place 8 meatballs in each loaf. Spoon sauce over meatballs. Cut loaves in half to make four sandwiches. Sprinkle with cheese.

Win it! One Simply Sweet Home reader will a $25 Publix giftcard to help you buy the participating Italian Days products.

Mandatory Entry:  To win, you must be a follower of my blog. And leave a comment telling me what your favorite Italian food you like to serve to your family. Deadline: March 7

Extra Entries: Leave a comment for each.

-1 if you follow @SimplySweetHome on Twitter.

-1 if  you subscribe to Simply Sweet Home via email.

-1 if you like Simply Sweet Home on facebook.

-1 for subscribing to my RSS feeds through Feedburner.

-1 for sharing this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook. 

(Sample Tweet:  I want to win a $25 Publix giftcard!  http://bit.ly/gBihQs @SimplySweetHome )  (Limit one tweet entry per day.)

Disclosure: General Mills gave me one gift card to keep and one to giveaway, as part of the MyBlogSpark program. The opinions are my own. If you'd like sponsor a review or giveaway on my blog, please see my PR page for details.

Strawberry Cake Cookies

Have I mentioned to you that I love cake mix cookies?  Yeah! I think I have!  And I think before it's all over with, I'm probably going to make every flavor of cake mix cookie available to me.  It's know it sounds like a tough task, but I think I'm up to the challenge! LOL.

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, it seemed like the perfect time to try out some Strawberry Cookies.  I thought the pink would be fantastically festive for the holiday.  And once they were baked, I thought what could I add to really make them scream, "Happy Valentine's Day!"  My answer: Chocolate! Of course!  Hope you enjoy!

Recipe for Strawberry Cake Cookies:

Ingredients:
1 Strawberry Cake Mix (18.5 oz)
1 egg
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup oil

Directions:  Mix ingredients together with spoon or electric mixer.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes or so to keep dough from sticking to your hands. (If dough is still sticky, refrigerate a few minutes more.)  Roll into one inch balls and place on a non stick cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray.   Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.  Edges should be lightly browned.

Decorating/Toppings: 

Ingredients:

Candy/Sugar Sprinkles

Almond Bark, Chocolate Chips, or a Chocolate Bar

To decorate the cookies, I immediately poured just a small amount of red candy sprinkles on them right after I took them out of the oven.  And usually I mix a spoon full sprinkles in with the actually dough before making, but I didn't do that this time. 

For the topping, I just took a couple of squares of almond bark and heated in the microwave for about a minute and half.  Don't forget to take the chocolate out every 15 seconds to stir, in order to prevent scorching.  Then just drizzle the chocolate on.  I was in a hurry so I just used a spoon and shook it back and forth to create a drizzled effect.  For a more professional look, you can use a piping bag. And if you don't have this you can put the chocolate in a ziplok bag with a tiny whole cut in the corner.

And here's a picture of some of the cookies that I kept plain. And I have to tell you, if you really want just a simple tasting, sweet treat, without all the frills, these plain strawberry cookies are just delightful!

I'm linking up at these parties..