Progresso Souper Giveaway

We have a winner! Congrats! Email me with your address within 3 days and we'll get your prize out to you!

You have a chance to win a Progresso gift pack by leaving a comment here or a makeover trip to NYC here! We're ALSO giving away a Gift Certificate to MixMyGranola here. Yummy!

Last August, I first tried the new Progresso Light soups. I was very surprised, I have never liked any of the other "light" soups I had tried. So, I've been trying to incorporate them into my regular diet to manage my weight. It's been great, especially for a quick a lunch on our busy weekdays. Progresso Light and 100 Calorie Soups are also a good source of fiber and have a full serving of vegetables.

Progresso provided a gift pack for me and one to give away that includes:
-a Progresso Soup Mug
-Jump Rope
-2 cans of Progresso Light Soups

To Enter:
Leave a comment here telling me either
a) which Progresso Light Soup flavor looks best to you or
b) why you want to win the "Souper You Debut" contest (see below)
we'll pick one random winner on Jan. 13th. Open to US Residents

Now, who wants to have a makeover in NYC?!
Women with taste deserve to be rewarded. And a delicious soup with 100 calories deserves to be celebrated. Celebrate the great taste of Progresso Soup with us and you could be headed to New York City for an all-expense paid makeover trip of a lifetime. Just tell us what you love about our Progresso Light and 100 Calorie Soups and why you want a makeover. We’ll pick 10 Finalists and the public will vote to select the winners. Go here to enter and for details.

Three Grand Prize winners will pack their bags for a trip to New York that includes:
•Airfare for two (2) to New York City
•Accommodations for two (2) in a luxurious Manhattan hotel for three days and two nights
•A head-to-toe makeover from a renowned stylist
•A $1,000 wardrobe shopping spree

Foodie Friends

Here are some of the fun food sites I like to visit on a regular basis (coming soon)

Turtle Rice Krispy Bars

Go grab yourself a mango, whip up something yummy and blog it or email it to me! You can win some great prizes! Details here, deadline is Jan 14th.

Most of us have some kind of New Year's Resolution to feed our families better...However, sometimes you just have to make a treat! We have one every Monday night. How about something delicious but lower in calories and fat?Introducing Turtle Rice Krispy Treats!
they're delicious and have less than half the fat and calories of a regular turtle brownie. I whipped these up using Jet-Puffed Caramel & Vanilla Swirl marshmallows, but I don't think they're available anymore. Regular marshmallows should be just as delicious. Enjoy!

Turtle Rice Krispy Treats
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
4 cups miniature marshmallows (or one bag large marshmallows, about 40)
1 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/3 cup pecan pieces
1/3 cup Heath toffee bits (optional)

Directions:
Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan generously with nonstick cooking spray. In a large pan on the stovetop, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until the mixture is melted and smooth. Add the chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Add the rice krispy cereal. Stir until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture to the prepared pan with buttered fingers or a spatula. Drizzle ice cream topping all over the mixture (you may need to warm it a little first in the microwave). Sprinkle pecan pieces and Heath toffee bits on top. Press lightly to make sure they stick onto the bars.

When cool, cut into squares and enjoy!

Tickled Pink Bread

Go grab yourself a mango, whip up something yummy and blog it or email it to me! You can win some great prizes! Details here, deadline is Jan 14th.

We got home from vacation yesterday to find that my new commercial-grade Kitchen Aid Mixer had arrived! The side of the box said, "Flour Power!" so I had to try some bread. I whipped up a batch of Quick French Bread.However, just to show how ticked pink we were, I tinted 1/4 of the dough pink just before rolling it out. Then, I put pieces here and there throughout the dough for some pinkalicious fun. The girls loved it!

A big thanks to Amanda's Cookin' and Sams Club! We're tickled pink with the new mixer and are looking forward to a new year full of great food and fun!

Mango Lassi & Recipe Contest

We don't drink alcohol, and everyone needs
a fabulous beverage for the New Year!
I whipped up some Mango Lassi, one of our family's favorite Indian foods. If you've never had Mango Lassi, it's basically a luscious smoothie made with yogurt and fresh mangos. It's simple but SO GOOD! You can make this ahead and keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hrs, which is great if you're having a party and want to prep ahead of time!

Mangos are super-rich in Vitamin A & C, high in fiber, and my kids love them! I'm sure many of us (myself included) have a New Years Resolution to feed our families more healthy foods. At 110 calories and 0 g fat per cup, Mangos are a winner.

To spark your creativity,
the National Mango Board is sponsoring
a Mom & Mangos recipe contest.

The winner will receive 2 boxes of fresh mangos, a cutting board, and wooden mango bowl!

Here's how to participate:
-make your own kid-friendly recipe using at least one mango

-do a blog post on your recipe (if you don't have a blog, email it to me)
- leave a comment here with a link to your post.
-Winner will be selected by the National Mango Board based on the following guidelines: 50% recipe concept, 25% photography, 25% best use of fresh mango.

You have until January 14th to enter your recipe, so you have plenty of time. I can't wait to see your recipes (and make them!). Open to US Residents. The Mango Board will select a winner by the end of January and we will post it here.

Mango Lassi
Ingredients:
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped mango (peeled and stone removed)
1-2 tablespoons sugar, to taste
Whipped cream (optional, for garnish)
pinch of ground cardamom (optional)
2 T. ground pistachios (optional)

Directions:
Put yogurt, milk, mango, and sugar in a blender and mix well, about 90 seconds. Pour into glasses and garnish with whipped cream, ground cardamom and pistachios (my kids don't like cardamom or pistachios so we just left them out & I know whipped cream isn't traditional, but who cares, it's good!). Makes about 2 cups.

Special thanks to the National Mango Board for sponsoring this post with some fresh mangos! Yum!

Sweet & Spicy Holiday Brie

Merry Christmas
& Happy Holidays!

Thanks for all the input on my appetizer makeover, I decided to try the Crescent Wrapped Brie, I hope you enjoy my spin on it. It's red, green, white, and delicious!

Sweet & Spicy Holiday Brie
Ingredients:
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
1 round (8 oz) Brie cheese
1/3 C. Cherry Preserves
2 T. diced Jalapeno peppers
1/4 c. chopped pecans (optional)
1 egg, beaten
1 drop red food coloring (optional, for garnish)
1 tsp. green colored sugar (optional, for garnish)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. Mix cherry preserves, jalapeno, and pecans (optional) in a small bowl.

Slice brie in half horizontally.

Unroll crescent roll dough, separate crosswise into 2 sections. Pat dough and firmly press perforations to seal, forming 2 squares.
Place 1 square on ungreased cookie sheet. With a sharp knife, cut the corners off of the dough (about 1/2" each to use for garnsh).

Place half of cheese on center of dough. Spread half of the cherry mixture on the cheese.

Place second half of cheese on top and spread remaining cherry mixture on top.

Place remaining dough square on top of cheese round. Press dough evenly around cheese; fold bottom edges over top edges. Gently stretch dough evenly around cheese; press to seal completely. Brush with beaten egg. Optional garnishes: Take leftover dough and divide into thirds. Add one drop red food coloring to one piece of dough and work with fingers until combined (you may need to add a pinch of flour). Shape into three holly berries. Take another piece of dough and shape into an oval. Pinch the top and down each side to form a holly leaf (see picture). Sprinkle with green sugar. Use third piece of dough to make another leaf.Place garnishes on the top of your wrapped brie, brush with additional egg if desired.

Bake 20 to 26 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Frosty the Snowpuddle

Frosty...
what happened??!

A long time ago, I saw these treats on Family Fun. I thought they cute, but needed a little something. So, we re-vamped them and the results made us laugh. Enjoy!Frosty the SnowPuddle Treats
Ingredients:
White Chocolate (we used white candy melts)
Doughnut Holes
Rolo Candies
Milk Chocolate Candy Melts (one for each hat)
Fruit Roll-ups
Orange Mike & Ike Candies (or any orange candy you can shape into a nose)
Mini-Chocolate Chips
Pretzel Pieces (for arms)
Wax Paper

Directions:
Get out your ingredients. Cut Fruit Roll-up into strips and cut snips on the ends as "fringe". These are your scarves. Here's everything you'll need to accessorize one snowman (plus a couple broken pretzels for arms).
Melt white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl at 30 second intervals, stirring after each. When melted, spread a little "puddle" on your wax paper. Dip a doughnut hole in the melted chocolate and place on your puddle. Accessorize your snowman with chocolate chip eyes, a scarf, a hat made with the candy melt and rolo, nose, and pretzel arms. Let set completely (about 15 minutes) then serve and enjoy!
Little H did a great job and loved hers. It was cracking her up.
Good job, Little H! And lastly, I'd like to share a Christmas Miracle! As you know, we're giving away a commercial-grade KitchenAid mixer. I've been dying to have one and heard about a few other blogs giving them away so I entered them all. There was a recipe contest, an essay contest, and all kinds of other things. Well, guess what? I won one today over at Amanda's Cookin'! And, it was random! So much for my recipes and essays.:) Thank you so much, we'll be making all kinds of wonderful things this coming year with our new mixer!

Also, tomorrow at 1:00 CST I'll be a guest on the Toginet Radio Show Mommy on a Shoestring. You can listen LIVE or can go to the show's page and download the podcast that is usually up a few hours after the show ends. I can't wait, we're going to have some fun!