Friday Fun Finds #3

Kim

Disclosure: Some products featured on the Friday Fun Finds series are product samples that have been sent to me to try. All opinions reflected will be my own.

Welllll, today’s Friday Fun Finds are almost Saturday finds…but better late than never right?! It’s been one of those days. Like, seriously, one.of.those.days. My son woke me up at 3am b/c he couldn’t sleep. He gets in my bed, where he immediately falls asleep, stretching out so that the hubs and I are being poked and prodded by an arm, knee, or foot – not to mention at some point he used my back as his pillow. Then the alarm goes off at 6:30, I go into the bathroom…and hear a rustling sound. I freak out, and sure enough, there is a MOUSE in my HOUSE. eekkkk! Lots of hysterics ensued, including my squealing and doing the ‘walking-on-hot-coals’ dance. At one point my husband caught the mouse in a cup, just for it to go leaping through the air and escaping. Which of course, caused more squealing and dancing on my part. Yikes. Needless to say, I’m spending the night at my parents. Not even kidding. After more drama, an early release day at school, lots of driving all over the place, I am finally, at 10:25, doing this post!

I’ve been buying flavored carbonated waters for a while now. My kids love them, and it’s a zero calorie, sugar free alternative to soda. I’ve tried different ones, but I like the flavor varieties of these….

! We especially like the new lemonade flavors! They have Strawberry Lemonade, Raspberry Lemonade and Lemonade with Tea to complement their Classic Lemonade flavor. My favorite is the Lemonade with Tea – it’s like a fizzy Arnold Palmer. And for the grown-ups, make it dirty by adding in a little vodka!

For another adult concoction (we are celebrating the end of summer you know!) there is the …

Sparkling Lemonito (for all of us who are big mojito fans)

4 oz Classic Lemonade
2 oz Vodka
6 Mint leaves lightly muddled
Lime wheel

Muddle mint leaves with a splash of Sparkling ICE Lemonade in a mixing glass. Squeeze in juice from lemon slice, add vodka, ice and stir. Pour into a glass, top with Sparkling ICE Lemonade, and garnish with a lime wheel and mint sprig.

Yes, please, and thank you! If summer has to end, then let it end with a drink in my hand. (and hopefully a mouse in a trap.*shudder*)

Learn more about Sparkling ICE and all of the varieties they offer on their , on , and .

I was sent samples of this product to try. I chose to feature them on the blog b/c my family enjoys them, as I am under no obligation to post.

Well, there is only going to be one fun find today, b/c even though I have lots more products I want to share, I’m exhausted. It’s past this mama’s bedtime.

2-Ingredient Pancakes {Weight Watchers friendly!}

Kim

This will be the shortest recipe post ever…b/c it’s seriously just 2 ingredients. Or if you are like me and have to add stuff…maybe 3. So, we could spend some time discussing , and how it was added to the Oxford dictionary. Seriously?! I didn’t know the “dance” had a name. Or we could discuss how Miley Cyrus apparently has made the word famous by her embarrassingly ridiculous performance on the MTV Music Video Awards. Or we can just cringe and hope all that goes away very soon. I’m sure my girls have already watched in on YouTube. *shudder*

Yeah, let’s move on before everyone loses their appetite. And, if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then just Google it or get on Twitter b/c it’s (unfortunately) errrywhere. Poor Billy Ray.

Speaking of everywhere, I’ve spotted this recipe on Pinterest many times, but was first inspired to give it a go after seeing it at . Something this simple, and being so low in points was something I had to try. Even though I don’t like bananas. Yep, one of the two ingredients is bananas, but I decided to give it a go anyway. (Because I was really wanting pancakes but didn’t want to use up a half a day’s points on them!)

All you need is a ripe banana, 2 eggs, and a blender (or food processor). I also added cinnamon to help cover up the banana flavor 🙂

2-Ingredient Pancakes

1 ripe banana

2 eggs

cinnamon (optional)

Blend ingredients until smooth in a blender or food processor.

Pour onto a heated, greased/sprayed griddle or skillet.

Cook until it appears almost set, then flip and finish cooking on the other side.

Serve with choice of toppings. I used sugar free maple syrup. I got 6 pancakes from this batch and calculated it as 4 points. If you use Egg-Beaters, the points would be even lower!

Notes:

Yes, these taste like bananas. However, I think adding a little more spice and some nuts would make it more of a banana nut bread flavor, which I would be okay with (of course, nuts add points if you are doing Weight Watchers).
I think I would also like them with chocolate chips (duhhh!)
These are very thin pancakes, but you can eat SIX without guilt 🙂
I personally prefer the texture better after they cooled a bit – less egg-y, sponge-y.
They could be used like a crepe, and wrap things in them.
I tried this with pumpkin instead of banana and it didn’t work well..however, I think it’s doable, I just have to play with it. If you try it and it works, let me know.
Even though I didn’t love them, I would make them again. Maybe with chocolate chips a blueberry topping.

Anyone else out there dieting? Does it suck for you too? Actually Weight Watchers really hasn’t been too bad. I’ve been doing it for several weeks now and I’m down 13 lbs. I’d like to lose 9 more. My pants today are baggy, so it’s worth it 🙂

I may be linking up at any of the following – (Monday) , , , , , , , , , , , (Tuesday) , , ,,, , and , , (Wednesday) , , , , , , , (Thursday) ,, , , (Friday) , , , , , ,, , , ,, , , ,, , (Saturday) , , , (Sunday) , , ;

Pork Chop-Hashbrown Casserole

Kim

I don’t know if it’s my Southern roots or what…but I do love a casserole! There is just something about having everything cook in one big ol’ dish that makes me happy. It may also be because I am one of those that likes to mix all my food together when I eat, unlike my brother, who likes to eat everything separately. (To the point that when he was young, NONE of his food could touch or he wouldn’t eat it!) Or, maybe I’m just a lazy cook and like to throw everything in together…whatever the reason, I think my love of casseroles is well established here on the blog. I mean seriously, there is Chicken Parmesan Casserole, Loaded Potato and Buffalo Chicken Casserole, Chicken and Dumpling Casserole…you get the picture.

Also, hashbrown casserole is one of my favorite dishes. I looove carbs potatoes. Are y’all Cracker Barrel fans? Awesome hashbrown casserole. I digress. This dish is Southern comfort food…pork chops, potatoes, cheese….yum. With a side of green beans of course. If you’ve followed for a while, then you know my sides are going to be green beans or salad. Every.Time.

You do brown your chops before placing the whole sha-bang in the oven…and this may not be absolutely necessary, but I recommend it for the best flavor. I wish I had browned mine a little more, but I hate dry meat and I am bad for overcooking pork. This recipe is from the Big Book of Homecooking cookbook via . I lightened it up a little to make it more Weight Watchers friendly. (I’m not to list points b/c it will vary greatly depending on size of chops/ingredients used and it’s difficult to determine serving size with the potatoes.)

Pork Chop-Hashbrown Casserole

5 pork chops (I used bone-in approx 1/2 inch thick chops)

*seasonings for meat (I used Mrs. Dash original, salt, pepper)

*Cooking spray or oil to brown pork chops

1 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)

1 can 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup

1/2 cup skim milk

Frozen Hashbrowns (I used Ore-Ida Shredded Hashbrowns – whole bag, thawed)

Onion** (1 cup or to taste)

Salt and pepper (to taste)

1 cup cheese (I used Kraft Fat Free Cheddar to reduce the WW points)

**I just sprinkled some dried onion over the top of my potatoes before adding the cheese b/c I knew my kids would not like a strong onion flavor.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Season your pork chops as desired and place in a skillet to brown on both sides. (Do not cook completely through because they will finish cooking in the oven with the potatoes.)
In a large bowl, combine your yogurt or sour cream, milk, and Cream of Chicken soup. Add your hashbrown potatoes (mine were not completely thawed and it was fine) and onion if using. Mix until combined.
Add salt and pepper to taste. If you are using full fat ingredients, you may not need to season the potatoes very much. Mine needed plenty of salt and pepper!
Spread your potatoes into an ungreased 9×13 casserole dish (the original recipe said ungreased…in using reduced fat/fat free products, I will probably spray mine with cooking spray next time. They didn’t stick much, but did a little.)
Sprinkle cheese over the top of the potatoes.
Add pork chops on top of the cheese and bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until pork chops are cooked through. (I usually use a meat thermometer b/c I’m a terrible judge.)

Adapted from:

We enjoyed this meal and I plan on making it again. What about you? Are you a casserole fan?

Yay! This recipe was featured over at !

I may be linking up at any of the following – (Monday) , , , , , , , , , , , (Tuesday) , , ,,, , and , , (Wednesday) , , , , , , , (Thursday) ,, , , , (Friday) , , , , , ,, , , ,, , , ,, , (Saturday) , , , (Sunday) , , ;

Be Cool, and stay cool, with Kraft® drink products {#spon}

Kim

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of for . All opinions are 100% mine.

Even though many kids are back to school, or like mine, head back very soon – summer’s not over yet! (Nor do I want it to be) So, head over to your local Dollar General and stock up on all the kids (and adults!) love from Kraft®. Now, you may be saying, “what drinks do they make?!” Well, all the good ones of course!

Yep, all of those are Kraft® drink products, and are available at Dollar General – Kool-Aid®, Crystal Light®, Country Time® Lemonade, MiO® Energy, and Capri Sun®. And since it’s Dollar General, you know you will be getting a good price, and be on the lookout for BOGO and $2 OFF coupons for even more savings!

The Capri Sun® drink pouches are quite popular and convenient for school. For my son’s Kindergarten class, each parent is to provide snack for the class once a month, and Capri Sun® is always a popular choice – it’s premade, premeasured, and doesn’t require extra supplies like cups and ice!

At home, we keep Crystal Light® and Country Time® on hand so we can whip up pitchers of lemonade (our favorite) whenever we want. I personally love to take a half glass of lemonade and mix it with a half glass of iced tea, for my very own ‘Arnold Palmer’. So refreshing in this heat and humidity we’ve had!

My kids are also big popsicle fans. They will take Kool-Aid® or Crystal Light®, pour it into and popsicle molds and freeze it. Sometimes we will add some fruit in there too, for addition nutrition. When it’s 90+ degrees out, everything is better frozen! Of course, they also like to mix several different flavors together to see what they can ‘create’! Whatever makes them drink more water, I’m all for it.

I say, let them enjoy what little summer we have left!

Friday Fun Finds #2

Kim

It’s time for another Friday Fun Finds….and fun finds they are! These are two very different snack options, both delicious in their own right.

First up…your new favorite chip.

If you’ve not tried these, I highly suggest you do, they are amazing! The variety of flavors are unlike most on the market, and I had the pleasure to try all of them!

My absolute favorite was this one –

They were spicy, but not hot, and super flavorful, but not in a powdered covered fake way – if that makes sense. All of the varieties are really good. They are super crunchy, non-greasy, and have great flavor. My girls’ favorite was the Sea Salt and Cider Vinegar, and my son liked the Lightly Salted and the Mature Cheddar and Chives. Like I said, they are all good! You can visit to find out more about them and where to get them. They are available online (they come from the UK!) and I have seen a few of the flavors at Fresh Market grocery store. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the Sweet Chili, which may be a good thing since I’m pretty sure I would have blown off my diet and stocked up.

Next up is a different snack option, that won’t derail the diet train…

Finally, an allergy friendly protein bar!! Do you know how hard it is to find a bar with NO NUTS? Not only is it free of nuts, but also contains no dairy, soy or gluten! My oldest daughter needs extra protein in her diet. She is pretty active, has a very high metabolism, and is very lean. Her pediatrician recommended extra protein, and luckily she loves a few protein bars on the market. She has declared the Sunflower her new favorite. I personally prefer the chocolate…but you know me, I prefer chocolate everything!

They are soft and chewy, without being sticky and gummy, so even though my daughter has braces, she was still able to eat them without any trouble. ZEGO bars are easily portable, so they are great on-the-go; you can toss them in your gym bag, lunch box or purse, and considering we were at volleyball practice until 8:30 last night, it’s nice to have some options that will tide them over for a while.

For me, they would make a convenient on-the-go meal replacement. With school starting up, and activities underway, I’m often eating on the run and I try to keep something convenient on hand to prevent me from making unhealthy choices at a drive-thru or concession stand! With these being nut-free, I don’t have to worry about my 5 y/o getting into them, or taking a bite either. (Do your kids always want whatever you are eating?! It’s like live-in portion control with kids around!) ZEGO is a brand new product, so head over to their and pages and show them some love and get more info!

So these are my Fun Finds for today. Either of these interest you?

A big thanks to Tyrell’s and Zego for sending my samples of their products to try (Disclosure! Also, no other compensation was received, all opinions are my own or that of my family.)

Wordless Wednesday – Goodbye Sweet Summertime

Kim

School starts Monday, and the mornings are already cooler, the nights shorter. I’m sad.

No more…

Feet in the sand

*side note* how frightening is this extremely large, close up picture of my thighs. Yikes.

Hanging out at my favorite place

Playing in the water (cell phone pic)

Chillin’ by the pool

*sigh*

Super Skinny Chocolate Muffins {copycat Vitatops}

Kim

If ya don’t like chocolate, you’re at the wrong place today (and uhhh, how are we friends? Just kidding.) I know there are some people who just don’t care for chocolate. Some of these people even share my same genetic pool. I truly don’t understand it. Anyway…these are for the chocolate fans out there. Especially the chocolate fans who loooove chocolate, but don’t necessarily care to wear their fat pants on a daily basis. These be some skinny muffins. Pinky swear.

and yes, I ate both of these as soon as I took the picture.

Super Skinny Chocolate Muffins {copycat Vita Tops}

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups old fashioned oats
3 egg whites
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (I used Hershey’s Dark)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (I used cinnamon, b/c it’s all we had!)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or regular plain yogurt)
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup hot water (I think coffee could be used here too)
1/2 cup sugar or sugar substitute (I used half Splenda and half xylitol) Update: I prefer to use half stevia or xylitol and half real sugar.
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray (or use cupcake liners).
Using a food processor (or a blender), blend all of the ingredients together except for the chocolate chips. Blend until oats are ground and mixture is smooth. (Note: grinding oats first, before adding other ingredients may make it easier to get a smooth consistency. I still had a few pieces of oats, but I was fine with that.)
Pour mixture into prepared muffin pans. These aren’t going to rise a lot, so you can fill them pretty full for larger muffins, or about half to 2/3rds for the traditional VitaTop look. Add a few chocolate chips to each muffin cup (about half of them) to ensure each muffin has chips in it. (If you add them to the batter bowl, they all just sink to the bottom.) The other half of the chips will be added to the tops in the next step. If you don’t want any on top, add them all now.
Place muffin tins in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove from oven and distribute the other half of the chocolate chips on top of each muffin. This just makes them look all pretty and like VitaTops.
Place the muffins back into the oven and bake for an additional 2-5 minutes (mine took 5-7), or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Source:

We got 12 decent sized muffins for 3 points plus each. I think next time I will make them smaller. I haven’t had Vita Top muffins in a while, but from what I remember, these are pretty darn close. I thought they were good, and my kids thought they were okay, but not great…but they don’t have to worry about fat pants and 41 year old metabolisms. ugh. This recipe also does not contain flour, so I’m assuming could easily be made gluten free.

Thanks to for featuring this recipe!

Friday Fun Finds {new blog series}

Kim

I’d like to start a new series that highlights new products that I have discovered. They may not be newly released, just new to me, and some may have been sent to me for review, and some will be products I have purchased on my own. To make sure I am compliant with disclosure rules, I will let you know in the post. I’ve periodically done a Friday Fun Finds in the past, but I would like this to be more consistent. We’ll see how it goes! If anyone is interested in doing this with me, let me know, and maybe we can work together.

I’m one of those people who goes to the grocery store and slowly peruses each and every aisle, looking for things that interest me. If something is new, I want to try it immediately! I am discovering more and more, that a lot of people are not like me. I have several friends who are very brand loyal, they go into the grocery store, buy basically the same things every week, and never even notice new products! Or if they notice, they don’t try them. So, maybe these little reviews will be helpful. I even had a friend over the other day who had never heard of Biscoff! *gasp* I explained to her it was heaven in a jar, and to try it at her own risk 🙂

So, for today’s new products, I thought I would highlight a couple of super healthy ones I’ve had the opportunity to try. They have both been a great addition to my smoothies! First up…

. I was not familiar with their products before I was sent samples to try (here is my disclosure!), but just recently found a few varieties at The Fresh Market, and they can be found at other supermarkets and specialty food stores such as: Whole Foods; Bed, Bath & Beyond; HyVee’s; Shaws; and Bristol Farms. There are several different super food combos to choose from, and they are great as a topping for yogurt, cereal, in oatmeal, and add a nutritional boost to any smoothie.

And a little PR background…Based in Northern Ireland and established in 1965, Linwoods is a family owned company that manufactures a range of Premium Bakery, Fresh Dairy and Healthy Super Foods. Linwoods products are sourced in their raw form from around the world and are selected from the best suppliers and growers to ensure the highest quality and standards. All ingredients are natural, organic and turn any meal at any time of the day in to a tasty and nutritious meal bursting with essential fatty acids, protein, iron, calcium, magnesium and essential vitamins and minerals.

My thoughts: I thought this was a great (and easy!) way to get a nutritional boost in my diet and plan on purchasing more in the future. It also added good texture to my yogurt, because I really don’t care to eat yogurt plain. I have texture issues!

My other new healthy product find is ! Gotta love the name! I was also sent samples of these for review.

I chose to put them in my smoothie because it is full of fruits and contains chia seeds! The texture is super smooth, so it could be added to most anything (or eaten straight from the pouch if you do not have weird texture issues like myself.) These packs would also be really convenient for someone who needs a boost while exercising – the packs could easily be thrown into a gym bag or carried in a runner’s pack. Not that I know anything about that first hand. Never have I exercised so much that I had to stop and refuel…but I know you people exist. (yes, I’m jealous that I don’t have that much drive.) Smooch is available and at Sprouts, Kings, and Balducci’s (and they donate 1 cent of every pouch sold to charity!) From the website Smooch is –

100% Natural
Natural Source of Omega-3
Natural Source of Vitamin C
Vegan & Vegetarian Friendly
Low in Calories (less than 100 per Smooch)
Contains Whole Chia Grains – Natural Fiber
1 of your 5 Daily Fruit Portions

AND It’s –

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free
Free For Anything Artificial
Preservatives Free
Sugar Free
Colorings Free
GMO Free
BPA Free

My thoughts – I think these are great to have while working out, or if you are like me and need some extra help getting that 5 a day in your diet. I bet a lot of kids would like them too. Just not my kids…who refused to even try them *sigh*.

Ham and Cheese Biscuit Pull Apart Casserole

Kim

Do you like biscuits? (I have both of my hands raised) Do you like a meal that can be put together in a hurry with just a few ingredients? (yes again!) How about a dinner that the kids say ‘this is really good, you need to make this again!’ (Do you know how rare that is in the Mo’Betta house?!) If any of these are sounding good to you…read on!

Flaky, delicious biscuits…

Ham and cheese too…

That comes together in a quick and easy casserole.

Ham and Cheese Biscuit Pull Aparts

adapted from

1 (16.3 oz) Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers Biscuits
1 egg
2 tablespoons skim milk
1 cup diced ham
1 cup cheese of choice (I used 1/2 cup fat free cheddar and 1/2 cup 2% mozzarella)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

fresh ground pepper (to taste)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray an 11 x 7 glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk egg and milk together.
Open biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters.

Gently stir biscuit pieces into egg mixture until evenly coated.

Fold in ham, cheese, garlic powder and pepper.

Dump biscuit mixture into prepared dish, and spread out in an even layer.
Bake at 350 for approx. 25 minutes or until golden brown.

I divided this into 6 servings, and based on the ingredients I used it came to 6 Points Plus (Weight Watchers) per serving. My girls each ate 2 servings!

Some other recipes I’ve made using canned biscuits:

Biscuit Breakfast Casserole

Bubble Up Pizza

Pizza Cupcakes

Monkey Bread

Ham and Cheese Melts

Yay! This recipe as been featured at , , ; thanks ladies!

I may be linking up at any of the following – (Monday) , , , , , , , , , , , (Tuesday) , , ,,, , and , , (Wednesday) , , , , , , , , (Thursday) ,, , , ,, (Friday) , , , , , ,, , , ,, , , ,, (Saturday) , , , , (Sunday) , , ;

KRAFT and Back-to-school {#sponsored}

Kim

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of . All opinions are 100% mine.

OH.MY.GOODNESS. It’s already back to school time, and I am already entering full freak out mode. Okay, maybe not full, but definitely partial freak out mode. The first day isn’t even here yet and already I’m running around like a chicken with it’s….well, you know how the saying goes. My childrens’ sports activities have already begun…so that’s scheduling and shuttling back and forth. There are physicals and forms to get done, and upcoming meetings in preparation for my little allergy boy to go to Kindergarten. Not to mention how stressful it is for ME aka MOM to send my ‘baby’ off to school with an inhaler, an epi-pen, emergency plans…oh mercy…I feel a panic attack coming on. *deep breath*

Thankfully, not everything about back-to-school is stressful. Luckily, some things have actually gotten easier, like now there are ! As I’ve mentioned a time or ten, DG is one of the very few stores available in my very rural area. The fact that I can run up there and get school supplies, grocery items, (coffee!) or whatever I need is very convenient. And not stress inducing. Now, I can count on them for everyday things like my kids favorite LUNCHABLES UPLOADED Lunch Combinations, and CAPRI SUN Big Pouch drinks (and did I mention coffee?! Dollar General has MAXWELL HOUSE K-cups!). All three of my kids will be taking their lunches to school 90% of the time, so I have to be stocked up on lunch and snack items. There is only so much PB&J; they can eat (and my son can’t eat it at all!) Also, since they are at Dollar General, I know the prices will be affordable. If you visit this link , then you can see the new KRAFT products available AND download coupons.

Not only can you find coupons, but you can also find new recipes! And you know how much I love recipes. (I have thousands of pins to prove it!) They are things my picky kids will actually eat too, like Frosty Strawberry Pops and Creamy Ranch Dip (click on the links in the post to get the full recipe). So, lighten your back-to-school stress load by stopping by your local Dollar General!