giveaway Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Makin' it Mo'Betta

Pizza Puffs & Cookbook Review + GIVEAWAY!

September 15, 2013November 21, 2015 Kim

One of my favorite food bloggers is Nicole of . I’ve been reading her blog for years now, and she has inspired me to try many new things…like tofu! Yes, my family wasn’t thrilled with that, but I discovered tofu isn’t so bad 🙂 We share the desire to take our favorite foods and lighten them up, and that healthy eating can be delicious! I was very excited for her when she announced she was writing a cookbook, and I was even more excited when I was contacted by the publisher to review the book! Not only that, they are offering a free copy to one of you!!

You know when you start looking over a cookbook, and immediately start bookmarking pages that it’s a good one. One of the first recipes in the book is for Pizza Puffs, and I knew they had to be made immediately. My kids and I love all things pizza!

Pizza Puffs from

3/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 cup fat free milk

1 egg, lightly beaten (I used Egg Beaters since I was out of eggs)

4 oz. (1 cup) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

34 slices turkey pepperoni, quartered (I used about 20)

1/2 cup pizza sauce (homemade or store-bought; I used this easy version)

2 tablespoons fresh basil, thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and oregano; whisk in milk and egg. Stir in mozzarella and pepperoni; let stand 10 minutes.

Stir batter, and divide among mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20-25 minutes.

Warm pizza sauce, then stir in 1 tablespoon basil. Sprinkle puffs with remaining 1 tablespoon basil. (I omitted) Serve puffs with pizza sauce for dipping. (if desired, my kids didn’t want sauce.)

Yield:

24 pizza puffs

Nutrition Information (per pizza puff):

38 calories; 1.4 g fat; 14 mg cholesterol; 123 mg sodium; 3.5 g carbohydrate; 0.1 g fiber; 3.0 g protein (stats per book)

*using the above stats, I calculated these as 1 Weight Watchers Point Plus (per puff)!

These made a great portable meal for the kids the other evening when we they had an insane schedule and had to actually eat dinner between volleyball games. I preferred them at room temp, so they will be great to pack for lunches at school, to have as appetizers, you name it! (When hot they are puffy and airy with melty cheese; when cooled they are more dense like actual pizza bites – they are good both ways!)

The cookbook is like Nicole’s , it has a wide variety of recipes with amazing pictures of each dish. The next on my list to make is the Greek Orzo and the Chocolate Dutch Baby. I’ve also already made Oven Fried Pickles from the book! It’s also the perfect time of year to try the Lightened-Apple Crisp, and the Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese Glaze looks absolutely amazing!

So who’s interested in Prevention RD’s Everyday Healthy Cooking Cookbook with 100 Light and Delicious Recipes?! Just enter via the rafflecopter form!

Disclosure – As stated in the post, I was given a copy of the cookbook for review. All opinions are my own.

Molten Deep Dish Cookies from Krusteaz & a GIVEAWAY!

September 12, 2013November 21, 2015 Kim

Yes, you read correctly! I have another giveaway for you guys!! And this one is for COOKIES {said in best Cookie Monster voice}. Not just any cookies either, but molten. deep dish. cookies. Yep, you know when I was asked if I would like to sample the new line of cookie mixes from , I could not hit reply fast enough to say….yesss! My kids were definitely on board too, as a matter of fact, they made the first batch as soon as they arrived on our doorstep.

These are the Molten Deep Dish Chocolate with Caramel Cookies. They are also available in Sugar Cookie with Chocolate and Classic Cookie with Chocolate (see their entire line of cookie mixes ).

The cookies are baked in a muffin tin, so you get a nice big cookie, with a creamy center. However, I think it would be fun to make our next batch in a mini muffin pan. Because everyone knows when they are mini, you can eat lots more at one time 😀 The cookies are easy to whip up, b/c as I said, my 10 and 12 year old made these. They were a little difficult to remove from the muffin pan, but since I wasn’t watching the girls, they might not have sprayed it quite enough. I’ll be making more very soon…for testing purposes of course *wink wink* They were definitely a hit around here, as they lasted about a millisecond.

I’m pretty excited to try some of the other products from Krusteaz too, like the new line of …they look pretty amazing, but I’m MOST excited about their pumpkin line! Y’all know I’m kind of a pumpkin freak (I have an entire devoted to pumpkin now!) and Krusteaz has Pumpkin Spice Muffin Mix, Quick Bread, Pancake Mix, and Pumpkin Pie Bars!! I’m in love! Now, if my local grocery store would just get them in! (They are seasonal from Sept-Dec.)

SO, who would like to win the entire line of Molten Deep Dish Cookie Mixes?! Krusteaz is offering one winner a prize pack including:

Molten Deep Dish Classic Cookie with Chocolate Center
Molten Deep Dish Chocolate Cookie with Caramel Center
Molten Deep Dish Sugar Cookie with Chocolate Center

Just follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form!

Giveaway open to US residents only.

Disclosure – as stated, I received sample boxes of the Krusteaz Molten Deep Dish Cookie mixes. All opinions expressed are my own (or that of my children!) No other compensation was received.

Easy Cake Mix Cookie Bars & Chinet Bakeware {GIVEAWAY} #sponsored

September 10, 2013November 21, 2015 Kim

To commemorate back-to-school for my girls, and entering Kindergarten for my little man, we had to have a little celebration. A par-tay if you will. And nothing says party in the Mo’Betta house better than CHOCOLATE. These bars start with a cake mix, so they are quick and easy, and you can add in anything you have in the baking drawer/cabinet/pantry (yes, I have baking supplies in all those places. #hoarder)

The original recipe was a cookie bar, but I reduced the fat by replacing some of the oil with applesauce, resulting in a more cake-like brownie texture, which is why I am just calling them Cake Mix Bars. With chocolate chunks, cookies and cream pieces, and M & M candies…they aren’t exactly low-fat…but hey, I tried. Sort of.

Not only were these bars quick and easy to make…there was very little clean up too. (Always an A+ in my book!) I used the new Bakeware (9×11 pictured here) and Chinet dessert plates for serving. Yes, you read that right, Chinet now has ! Disposable pans that come in a variety of sizes, making any situation where you need to carry food somewhere, (or just needing easy clean-up!) very convenient! Each pan also comes with a lid, so transporting is so easy, and you don’t have to worry about getting your pan back! These cake bars made for super happy kids, and easy clean-up made for a happy mom. It’s a win folks.

And speaking of winning…the nice people over at Chinet would love for a Makin’ it Mo’Betta reader to win a set of Chinet Bakeware to try out for themselves! One winner will receive a set of bakeware in each size. More info after the recipe…

Easy Cake Mix Cookie Bars

1 box cake mix (I used Dark Chocolate)
1 small box Jello instant pudding (I used Sugar Free/Fat Free chocolate)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup applesauce*
1/4 cup canola oil*
2 eggs (I used Egg Beaters)
1/2 cup cookies n’cream and chocolate chunks (that’s what I had on hand)
1/2 cup M and M’s

*The original recipe calls for 3/4 cup oil. I substituted a half cup of applesauce. This changes the texture, so if you want a dense cookie bar, use more than 1/4 cup oil. My kids didn’t mind 🙂

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, pudding, water, applesauce (if using), oil and eggs or Egg Beaters.
Fold in your add-ins
Pour batter into prepared pan, spread evenly (my batter was pretty thick).
Bake for approx 20 minutes or until done around edges, but slightly soft in middle (if you use different ingredients, they may need to cook a little longer)
Let cool. Top with whipped topping and sprinkles if desired!

Recipe adapted from

This was a fun and easy treat to celebrate back-to-school! Now, about that giveaway…

The winner will receive a set of Chinet Bakeware including one of each size:

8×8 Square Pan

7×11 Large Oval Pan

9×11 Rectangle Pan

7.25×9 Small Oval Pan

Please enter via the Rafflecopter form. If you are viewing this in an email, you will need to click over the actual post. Shipping only available within the US.

I received a complimentary set of bakeware and stipend for supplies from Chinet. All opinions are my own. This is part one of a 4 part series featuring Chinet, so if you don’t win this one, stayed tuned!

Pillsbury Heat-N-Go Pancakes & Waffles {GIVEAWAY} #sponsored

September 9, 2013November 21, 2015 Kim

It’s giveaway week here on the blog! I’ve got several things lined up to giveaway over the next 2 weeks, so I hope you will keep checking back, and entering any and all that look good to you! First one up this week is designed to make your life a little easier. With 3 kids, I know how hard it can be to get a decent meal on the table when this child has to go to this practice, and that child has to be at that game, and the other child needs to be read too, and so and etc. knows that too, because they keep coming out with great products that make meal times easier. For example, the new Pillsbury Heat-N-Go Pancakes and Waffles…

Individual bags of pancakes or waffles with the flavor baked right in! The pancakes come in

Maple Burst’n
Blueberry

The waffles are available in

Maple Madness

Your kids can get a hot breakfast in seconds without the mess. No need to add extras to these little gems, just heat-n-go. Not only are they super convenient, each serving has 14g of whole grain, 0g of trans fat and no high fructose corn syrup. And hey, they don’t have to be just a morning thing – we like breakfast for dinner, and there are several nights where dinner has to be eaten in a hurry to get my girls where they need to go.

Pillsbury feels so confident in their product that they are offering a Money Back Guarantee! If you are unsatisfied with the product, all you have to do is visit . So, head on over to Wal-Mart to pick up your own packs of Heat-N-Go pancakes and waffles or enter to win this handy prize pack…

PRIZE PACK:

10 VIP Coupons to try each of the three flavors
Double-walled stainless steel tumbler (includes infuser for tea)
Insulated Bag (holds up to 24 cans)
Retail Value: $60

Please enter via the Rafflecopter form. If viewing in an email, you will need to click through to blog post to enter.

Due to shipping and coupon restrictions and product availability, this giveaway is only for US residents.

Disclosure – I received the same prize pack as listed above.

Eating Fresh with Old El Paso and a GIVEAWAY (#sponsored)

August 13, 2013November 21, 2015 Kim

This post is sponsored by Old El Paso and MyBlogSpark. I received a prize pack like the one in the giveaway, no other compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

Have you been enjoying fresh fruits and veggies this summer? I miss having a garden, but have been lucky enough to get fresh vegetables from my mom and neighbor, and lots of fruits and vegetables at a nearby Farmer’s Market. I also just braved the crazy heat, and even crazier killer bees this weekend, to pick fresh blueberries from my Aunt’s blueberry bushes. I have been trying my best to incorporate fruits and/or veggies into every meal.

After a recent visit to the Farmer’s Market, I had a beautiful bounty of veggies that I wanted to use for dinner. I also couldn’t decide if I wanted enchiladas, tacos or fajitas. I wanted to use my fresh onions, peppers and tomatoes, but I also wanted enchilada sauce and cheese….SO, I taco-enchi-jitas. Yep, it’s now a thing. I created an entirely new dish to incorporate everything I wanted at the time. I’m sure they’ll be served in Mexican restaurants very soon. *ahem* Or not. But still…they were good!

Fresh ingredients are so pretty!

and you can’t go wrong with spice, sauce, and cheese either!

I used ® Taco and Fajita Tortillas and stuffed them with ground beef cooked with onions, peppers, and taco seasoning; covered it all in enchilada sauce and cheese, then topped it off with lettuce, tomatoes, plain yogurt and cilantro. Muy delicioso! Fresh veggies used and craving satisfied! You can get lots of recipes and ideas by visiting Old El Paso’s too.

And because Old El Paso wants to share the joy, I have a giveaway! You can get this awesome prize pack…

Market basket (which is great for the farmer’s market, but also great for the beach!)

Avocado keeper
Chopper with storage bowls
Old El Paso® Taco & Fajita Tortillas
Old El Paso® Traditional Refried Beans (this did not come with my pack, so I can’t swear it will come in yours)
Old El Paso® Taco Seasoning
Retail Value: $55

To enter, follow the directions in the Rafflecopter form. If you are viewing this in an email, you will need to go directly to the post to comment. Thanks!

Huge Ice Cream GIVEAWAY! #sponsored

July 18, 2013November 21, 2015 Kim

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

It’s HOT outside, and I don’t know about where y’all are, but here in NC, it’s not only HOT but it is H-U-M-I-D. The air is so thick with moisture you practically have to swim through it. And what beats the heat better than….

Yep, good ol’ ICE CREAM!! And I’m here to help you with that, along with the great folks of Unilever Brand Ice Cream. Now, you may not be familiar with Unilever, but I bet you are VERY familiar with their awesome products like , , ,  and a couple of newer ones,  and . I can tell you from first hand experience….they’re all good! Most of these I’ve been buying for years. Breyers has been a favorite in my family for quite some time. I was thrilled when I discovered that a lot of the Breyers varieties do not contain eggs so my son could enjoy ice cream with the rest of the family. Thankfully, he has outgrown his egg allergy, but we still enjoy the many, many Breyers ice cream flavors. He recently had the Breyers M&M ice cream for his birthday, while my daughter had the Breyers Birthday Cake flavor for hers. Pictured above is my absolute flavor combo….Reese Cup!! Yes, chocolate and peanut butter, together, in ice cream. It’s amazing.

Unfortunately, my girls really, really liked it too. It didn’t last long.

As a matter of fact, my middle child is happily scraping out the container one rainy day in this pic, while my oldest is enjoying a Good Humor Chocolate Eclair Bar, and my son is eating (one of MY) 100 calorie Klondike bars! {3 PP for those doing Weight Watchers! They have a No Sugar Added version too!}

The  bars have been something my girls have been talking about for a while now, but I had not tried. Let me just tell ya…they are not your ordinary chocolate covered ice cream bar. They are covered in Belgium chocolate! Rich, creamy, delicious chocolate, over velvet-y smooth vanilla ice cream. They are decadent. They are delicious. They are gone. I don’t even trust myself to have these in the house. They will be for special occasions!

However, I have already mentioned that  has some calorie friendly options (plus ice cream sandwiches, and the fun ‘taco’ treats!), as does . My kids picked out a variety flavor pack of Popsicles that are low in sugar and make for a great every-day kind of treat. They have been enjoying them after swimming! They have absolutely been LOVING this review opportunity 🙂 What can I say? I have too!

I have enjoyed some of my old favorites, and have learned about a lot of new ones. for instance, is a fabulous new bar filled with real fruit and juice (and some varieties have milk as well.) I really wanted the coconut and milk flavor, but my kids out-voted me and got strawberry. It’s so good!

SOOOO….who wants to try SIX different Unilever Brand Ice Cream Products…for FREE?!!! *I see hands raised everywhere!* All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me what brand is your favorite or which one you are most interested in trying. Check out the links to learn more information about all the different varities. For additional entries, share this post on any social media platform (Facebook, Twitter, Google +, etc.) – you will need to leave an additional comment telling me each way you shared, with a link so that I can verify.

I will be awarding SIX free product coupons to ONE lucky winner. (US residents only, please make sure I have an email address to contact you if you win!)
*GIVEAWAY ENDS 07/25/13 AT MIDNIGHT (EST)*

Biscuit Breakfast Casserole {& GIVEAWAY}

April 9, 2013November 22, 2015 Kim

I have been using eggs for a good while now, so when they contacted me with this opportunity to host a brunch and offered a fun giveaway for you guys, I jumped on it! I love brunch. It’s not breakfast, it’s not lunch…you can pretty much get away with anything for the menu. It’s a great time to change up those (like this Biscuit Breakfast Casserole), combine breakfast and lunch items, such as with breakfast pizzas, just let your imagination go. Unless your family is like mine…in which foods must be boring basic, non-spicy, and “normal”. If they found spinach in their breakfast casserole, they would fah-reak. *sigh*

Thankfully, I was able to come up with a few dishes that were winners all around. That’s one of the great things about eggs, they are so versatile! I’m so thankful that my son is no longer allergic to eggs as it has opened up a whole new world in the way of menu planning! Since we eat so many dishes with eggs now (we also LOVE breakfast for dinner…brinner?) it is nice to know that Eggland’s Best eggs offer more than your ‘average egg’. They have 10 times more vitamin E; double the amount of omega-3’s; twice the amount of vitamin D; 3 times more vitamin B12; 25% less saturated fat and 38% more lutein. I know, wow!

So what eggs-tremely (haha, couldn’t resist) delicious dishes did I serve?

This Biscuit Breakfast Casserole with sausage, eggs, and cheese was pretty delicious. I especially liked mine with a little sausage gravy. We Southerners like gravy on most anything 🙂

Biscuit Breakfast Casserole

adapted from Sausage, Egg and Biscuit Casserole by

1 lb breakfast turkey sausage
7 Eggland’s Best eggs
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup fat free half and half

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper
8 frozen buttermilk biscuits, slightly thawed, halved (I used Grands)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375.
Lightly spray a 7×11-inch dish with cooking spray.
Brown sausage in pan, breaking into chunks. Drain fat if necessary.
Whisk together eggs, milk, half and half, cream, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Slice each biscuit in half with serrated knife. Place biscuit bottoms in baking dish.
Sprinkle half of cooked sausage over biscuits and top with half of the cheese.
Place remaining biscuits on top of cheese, and sprinkle with remaining sausage.
Pour egg mixture over biscuits.
Bake 30 minutes.
Sprinkle remaining cheese over casserole and bake until eggs are set, about 10-15 minutes longer.
Let casserole stand 10 minutes before serving.

I’m also loving this idea for mini breakfast casseroles! You make it in a muffin pan, which would have been great for brunch.

We also had Breakfast Pizza, similar to this . This from the also looks pretty amazing. The site has LOTS of good looking recipes if you want new ideas. (They also have a special going on right now for a free for Facebook fans, click on the link to learn more.) There was also delicious fruit salad, grits, and maybe a mimosa or two.

So…I know I mentioned a giveaway and you have patiently waited to hear the details. Eggland’s Best is offering a Makin’ it Mo’Betta reader the following prize pack.

(1) coupon for one free dozen Eggland’s Best eggs

(1) ceramic mixing bowl
(1) egg-shaped wooden cutting board
(1) whisk
(1) bowl scraper
(1) ceramic mug

(1) eco bag

It’s a fun and useful gift pack, and I have been using mine a lot! To enter, just follow the directions in the rafflecopter form.

The Eggland’s Best coupon, information, and two gift packs have been provided by Eggland’s Best. Any opinions expressed about the product are my own.

Linking up this recipe with