Archers Farms Sea Salt Caramel Hot Cocoa Mix

This past Saturday, I hosted a small event called Cookies & Cocoa.  It was a very small and nice cookie swap.  Friday I was running around trying to find my favorite Land O Lakes hot chocolate mix packets and boy the stores were so picked over.

I ran into Target and found some other brands and the Archers Farms Sea Salt Caramel looked very interesting.

OH MY WORD!!!!  This stuff is wonderful!!!!  It was rich and you could really pick up the Sea Salt and Caramel taste.  I am definitely going back and finding more boxes to stock my pantry!!!

Teacher Appreciation lunch menu and Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole

Last week Miss V's class hosted the Teacher Appreciation Lunch at school.  I had asked a while ago on Facebook what would be a good theme.  I was so tired of the huge salad bar that we have done since Kindergarten.  I know the teachers love it, but I just wanted something different.  One awesome teacher suggested breakfast.  That sounded perfect and I got to planning!

We had:
Muffins, Banana Breads, Bagels, cream cheese and Pumpkin Cream Cheese
Breakfast casseroles in crock pots
Bacon, sausage links and patties
Fruit

For drinks we had Orange Juice, a variety of teas and Caramel Apple Spice copycat.


 For my casserole, I made a full size version of Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole and skipped the syrup.

3 or 4 loaves of day old french bread, cut into cubes
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut in cubes
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
12 large eggs
⅓ cup maple syrup
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup milk or cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Arrange ½ of the bread cubes in a greased 9 x 13 pan.

Sprinkle cream cheese cubes and blueberries evenly over the bread cubes.

Top and evenly sprinkle with remaining bread cubes.

Mix together eggs, syrup, milk and vanilla in a blender.

Pour over bread cubes. Press the bread cubes slightly down to absorb the milk/egg mixture. Cover pan with foil. Let chill in refrigerator overnight.

Bake covered with foil at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes or until fluffy and golden brown.

Well, I splurged last week and bought a new crock pot.  I put the casserole together in the crock and baked it in the oven.  When it was done, I put the crock in the base and brought it to school.  Once at school, I turned it on the warm setting.  By 10:30 it was still hot.

I do believe everyone enjoyed it and it was scraped clean!  Skipping the syrup was a good decision, it would overwhelm the casserole with sweetness.

I can wait to use this new crock pot tomorrow when I make Baked Ziti for our Church's Alpha Class.

Pasta Salad

One of my favorite things to make when it starts to get warm out is pasta salad.  I don't really have a recipe just a basic guideline; pasta, Italian dressing and veggies.  I love that it keeps really well and I believe it tastes better the next day. 

Last Friday my plan was to make it right after I dropped Miss V off at school.  Well she ended up with a sick tummy and stayed home from school.  Between bathroom visits and sleeping I didn't want to be banging around in the kitchen.

She started feeling better in the afternoon so I quickly made this so it would be ready by dinner time.

Cook whatever kind of pasta you have or want to use.  While it is cooking, I chopped up some peppers, cucumber and sliced up baby carrots.

Drain and rinse the pasta until it is cool.

In a large glass bowl, place the veggies and pasta.  Pour 2/3 of the dressing over the pasta, salt and pepper to taste and mix to combine.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to cool.

Right before serving I add the last of the dressing and mix again.  I also like to add Parmesan cheese to salad before serving.  Sometimes I like to add cheese cubes and diced tomatoes, but didn't have any this time. 

My absolute favorite dressing for pasta salad is Kraft Tuscan House Italian.  It has great flavor without being overpowering.

Mandarin Chicken with Panda Express Sauce

So last night I made Mandarin Chicken with the Panda Express Sauce.  This time I used the same directions as the Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken.

Chicken and coating:

3 or 4 boneless chicken breasts

kosher salt and fresh black pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used much less than this)

Preheat your oven to 325.

Cut the chicken breast into bite size cubes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Create a breading station by putting the cornstarch in a bowl and the beaten eggs in another.  I like to do this on the stove top.

In a large skillet heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat.

Place a few pieces of chicken in the corn starch then shake off the excess and dredge in the egg.  Immediately put them in the hot oil.  Brown on all sides, but do not cook through.  Place the browned chicken into a 13x9 baking dish and continue browning the other pieces of chicken until done.

Pour a bit of sauce over the chicken.  Maybe a 1/4 of the bottle or to your liking.

Bake for one hours, turning the chicken every 15 minutes.  This step is very important if you want crispy chicken.

 I served this with rice and steamed broccoli.  This sauce was so good!!!!  Miss V loved it because it wasn't spicy like the Kung Pao sauce.

I also love cooking the chicken this way.  It keeps the chicken crispy and light.

I am definitely going to pick up the other sauces next time I am at Walmart.  So have any of you tried their sauces?  I asked my Facebook Fans if they have eaten at the restaurants and it was mixed.  Some love it, some didn't and some were saying it was just ok.

Kung Pao Chicken with Panda Express Sauce

Last week I was at walmart finishing up my large shopping list for my son's pre-deployment cookout and spotted Panda Express Sauces in the Asian aisle.  I have never eaten at Panda Express, but everyone that has, has raved about it.  Well I picked up a couple different sauces.

I decided to make the Kung Pao Chicken.  Well the link on the bottle does not work, so I just had to wing it.

1 pkg of boneless skinless chicken cut into bite size cubes
Cornstarch
Eggs
Pepper and Onion frozen veggie mix, thawed

I made a little breading station and heated my wok to medium high and added peanut oil.

In batches, I dipped the chicken in the egg then dredged in the cornstarch.  Cook in the wok until golden brown and no longer pink in the middle.  Remove to a paper towel lined plate.  Continue until all the chicken is cooked.

Add the veggies to the wok to heat up, add the chicken to reheat.  Add as much sauce as you like and until all the chicken and veggies are coated.  Toss for about 30 seconds until the sauce is hot.

Serve with fried rice or white rice.

The sauce was FANTASTIC!!!!  It was hot and spicy but not over powering.  I am looking forward to trying some of the other sauces and maybe even try eating at Panda Express.

Bzz Campaign - Cafe Escapes

I recently was chosen by Bzz Agent to try Cafe Escapes.  The bad thing was that my Keurig had died.  It was only three years old and we only used it a handful of months each year.  I had pleaded with customer service but they explained for $79.00 they would send me a new one.  Everyone that I knew with the same model also died but they got brand new ones for free.  I am not thrilled with their service.

So I asked a few neighbors if they had any Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons and sure enough I found a stack in my mailbox.

I bought the Keurig Mini for $79.00 and if it breaks I will not be purchasing another.

So back to the Cafe Escapes campaign.  The campaign had Chai Latte, Milk and Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa, Café Mocha and the two newest Café Escapes^® flavors: Café Vanilla and Café Caramel.

Miss V tried the Cafe Mocha first and really enjoyed it.  It was chocolatey with just a hint of coffee.  We both tried the Cafe Vanilla which we both really loved!  It was creamy, sweet and just right for our tastes.

I tried both Cafe Caramel and well I just didn't like the flavor.  It was a little burnt tasting.

We have also tried out the Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and hot Cocoa and we love them!  I did use a coupon and bought another box of the Cafe Mocha.  I really need to get another box of the Cafe Vanilla.

I would highly suggest that if you have a Keurig, try out all the flavors from Cafe Escapes!

My favorite:

Miss V's favorite with mini marshmallows

Kellogg's crunchy nut roasted nut

So the other day Miss V and I went grocery shopping and picked up a box of Kellogg's Crunchy Nut Roasted Nut O's with my coupon from Bzz Agent.

When I poured the cereal into the bowl, I snitched an O.  It was really good and kept eating them until half the bowl was gone.  I then added the milk and WOW I am really liking this cereal as much as the Crunchy Nut Flakes.  Again they are sweet but not overly sweet and you can definitely taste a nice roasted peanut flavor.  I know this may seem strange to some people, but Miss V likes to add cereal to her yogurt sometimes and I think the Crunchy Nut O's would be a good option for vanilla yogurt.

Some of the online coupon sites do have a coupon this week if you wanted to print one out and try it for yourself.

Kellogg's Crunchy Nut Cereal

Yeah my Kellog's Crunchy Nut Cereal Bzz Kit came this weekend.  I first tried this cereal a few years ago. I found it at my local Sweetbay Supermarket.  Miss V loves it also!

We both love that it is sweet but not overly sweet.  It stays crunchy in milk unlike most flake style cereals.  I love the chopped peanuts on each and every flake.

The Bzz Kit also came with five $0.50 cent coupons.  I noticed that they also have a roasted nut version.  I am going to have to pick that up and try it.

Have you tried Kellogg's Crunchy Nut Cereal?  What did you think of it?

Quaker Real Fruit Medley's Apple Walnut Oatmeal

I spotted these at a few local stores recently.  I was a bit hesitant at first because the price ranged from $1.70 to over $2.00 for a single cup.  I know I saw coupons for them on a website, but now can't find them.

Anyway, last weekend I picked up the Apple Walnut Oatmeal at Publix just to try.  There are two ways to prepare it.  One is to add boiling water and the other is to add water and microwave it.

I chose the second option.

I prepared it and waited a little bit while it cooled.  My first thought was that it had a lot of nice texture which in my opinion is much better than the packets of oatmeal.  The flavor was pretty good.  I think I would like just a bit more cinnamon in it.

Would I buy it again, yes if they were on sale or I had a coupon.

Wilton Apple Pocket Pie Press

See that cute little gadget?  Miss V convinced me to get it at Walmart.

There is no recipe in the box so I had to make one up as I went and didn't really measure anything.  I sliced up a couple Granny Smith Apples and put them in a sauce pan with granulated sugar, a dash of lemon juice, a tablespoon of butter, dash of salt, cinnamon and fresh nutmeg.  I cooked it until the apples were softened.

I opened and unrolled the pie dough.  This is the first time I have been disappointed with store bought dough from Publix.

 After cutting out only 8 pieces of dough, I quickly realized that the bottom doesn't fit so you need to stretch it a bit.

Then add a couple tablespoons of filling.  Egg wash the edges of the bottom dough.

 Then add the top layer.

 Crimp and press the dough together.  It was a PAIN to get the pies out of the press.  When done, poke a couple of holes into the dough and egg wash them.  I did sprinkle on some cinnamon/sugar mixture.

 Look at all this extra WASTED dough...

 Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes.

They came out cute, but are a total waste of time and dough.

Unreal #41 Candy Coated Chocolates

I am a Bzz Agent and currently working on the Unreal Candy Campaign.  I have enjoyed the candy bars and next up are the Candy Coated Chocolates, aka Unreal #41.

First thing I noticed were the colors were definitely not artificial.  They more muted and that is fine with me.

I tried one and let it melt in my mouth.  It was slow to melt much like the "junked" brand.   Then the chocolate taste hit me by surprise.  It is NOT a sweet chocolate at all.  It definitely tasted like dark chocolate which I normally love.  I don't think I love these.  They left a bitter after taste in my mouth. 

You can find more information on Unreal #41 on their site.  Here is the list of ingredients
Milk Chocolate (chocolate, skim milk, cane sugar, cocoa butter, milk powder, organic blue agave inulin, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), Cane Sugar, Calcium Carbonate, Colored with (beetroot juice, turmeric root extract, purple cabbage juice), Gum Arabic, Vanilla Extract, Carnauba Wax & Beeswax

Contains milk, soy. May contain tree nuts, peanuts, wheat.

  I am not thrilled with these.  I know I would not purchase these.

Unreal #5 Chocolate Caramel Nougat Bar

So the other day I blogged about being a Bzz Agent and trying new candy from Unreal. 

Today I tried the #5 which is Chocolate Caramel and Nougat bar.  Again I cleared my mind and didn't want to compare it to the "national brand". 

The first thing I noticed how fresh the chocolate tasted.  It is has a nice flavor and not that sickly sweet taste.  I also noticed how thick the nougat was.  I really like that.  It makes you feel like you are eating something not air. 

I am very impressed with this candy bar too.

If you want more information about Unreal #5, just take a peek at their site.

Here is the bars nutional information.

Ingredients:
Milk Chocolate (cane sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, milk powder, organic blue agave inulin, skim milk, soy lecithin, vanilla extract),Caramel (tapioca syrup, cane sugar, fructan (prebiotic fiber), organic palm kernel oil, whey, milk protein concentrate, organic cream, vanilla extract, salt, soy lecithin), Tapioca Syrup, Cane Sugar, Milk Protein Concentrate, Organic Palm Kernel Oil, Skim Milk Powder, Cocoa Powder, Salt, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Evaporated Cane Syrup, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla Extract
Contains milk, soy. May contain peanuts, tree nuts, wheat.

Unreal # 8 (Chocolate, Caramel, Peanuts, and Nougat candy Bar)

I am a Bzz Agent and recently was picked for the Unreal Candy Campaign.  I really couldn't wait to get my coupons.

They finally came in the mail the other day and I had to look online to see where they were sold.  I saw they were sold at Walgreens and that was perfect because I need to pick up a few other things. 

The Unreal coupons were Buy One Get One so I picked up all the different kinds.

The first one we tried was the Chocolate, Caramel, Peanuts and Nougat candy bar.  The first thing I did was to have an open mind.  Yes these are the same ingredients at my favorite candy bar.  The first bite kind of shocked me in a good way.  It wasn't sticky sweet.  The chocolate tastes more like semisweet than milk chocolate. 

Overall it tasted pretty good!  I am pretty impressed with it.  Just don't compare it to the "other" well known candy bar, if you do you might be disappointed if you go in with the expectation that it is going to taste just like it.

If you want, here is the link to the nutritional information:  Unreal #8

 

Milk Chocolate (cane sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, milk powder, organic blue agave inulin, skim milk, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), Caramel (tapioca syrup, cane sugar, fructan (prebiotic fiber), organic palm kernel oil, whey, milk protein concentrate, organic cream, vanilla extract, salt, soy lecithin), Peanuts, Tapioca Syrup, Cane Sugar, Organic Palm Kernel Oil, Skim Milk, Peanut Flour, Salt, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Evaporated Cane Syrup, Soy Lecithin
Contains peanuts, milk, soy. May contain tree nuts, wheat.

Jif Hazelnut Spread?

Have you seen this before???  Last week I was printing online coupons and came across a coupon for Jif Hazelnut spread.  Looked interesting since we love Nutella so much.  I found it at my local walmart.

Miss V tried it on a waffle the other day and loves it!

Have you tried it yet?

Kid Cuisine Flip n' Dip Pancakes

Ok...don't shoot me, but I do keep some Kid Cuisine Meals in the freezer.  Miss V enjoys them once in a while and they come in handy.

So on Shrove Tuesday, I really didn't feel like making pancakes and I remembered that I had a Flip n' Dip Pancake meal in the freezer.  Miss V was very happy about that.

Well the meal comes with two pancakes, tater tots, cranberry sauce and one turkey sausage.

Before I cooked it:

Well.....something is missing.  Can you tell what?

The turkey sausage!!!

So after I heated it up and Miss V ate, I called ConAgra Foods.  I spoke with a super nice woman in Consumer Affairs.  She took down all the information from the box and said that ConAgra foods would be sending out a couple of coupons and one would be a for a free meal and another coupon would be $.50 off another item.

The coupons came very quickly and I can say that my experience with Consumer Affairs was fantastic!!!!

Margaritaville Coffee!!

Last night a little birdy showed up on my door step with gifts!  I love gifts!!! 

I have four bags of the Margaritaville Sunrise in Paradise (light/medium roast) and two bags of Latitude Attitude (medium roast).

I just made a pot of the Latitude Attitude for my husband and ooooh weeee it smells good but a little strong for my taste.  I prefer light roasts and did you know that lighter roasts have more caffine?.  I will have him give me he thoughts on it later today.

Chocolate Cheerios - Review

Have you seen these?????

I am normally very strict about the kinds of cereals.  But lately Miss V has been having some issues of not being hungry or things just don't taste very good.  We go through this a few times a year.  When this happens, I loosen up a bit.

Anyway she spotted these a few weeks ago and had a coupon so into the cart they went.  The next morning she tried them and really loved them.  She had them a few times and the only thing she didn't like was that it turned the milk to chocolate milk. 

So she now prefers to have these as a little snack, but will eat them dry and have a cup of milk on the side.  Personally I loved them even the chocolaty milk.

Tai Pei Vegetable Egg Rolls - Product Review

Every year for New Year's Eve, we love to stock up on "junk" food.  This year Miss V saw these at Walmart and wanted to try them.

They were really good!!!  The sauce was pretty good too!  I would certainly buy them again.

Green Mountain Pumpkin Spice K-Cups

I spotted this a few weeks ago on my FB newsfeed.  I wanted to try them, but never get to Bed Bath and Beyond very often.  I peeked at Target where they sell the Keurig Brewers...none...and very disappointed.

The other day I was back at Target getting a couple things and went down the grocery aisles and there it was!!! 

So I picked up a box of 18 for $11.99.

I tried one when I got home and wowzer....it is perfect!  It has a great pumpkin spice flavor and does not taste like fake syrups that some places use.

Ahhhhh....I might have to pick up a couple more boxes.

Orville Redenbacher's Stirring Popper

To say we love popcorn, would be an understatement.  But....we do not like microwave popcorn.  The list of ingredients scare me.  A couple years ago Miss V picked out a hot air popper for Father's Day.  It worked great until fell off the counter and part of it broke.

After that we used a dutch oven and made it on the stove top.  This spring we were using up some gift cards from Christmas and found the Orville Redenbacher's Stirring Popper at Kohls.

It works wonderful!!!  Hot fresh popcorn with easy clean up.  Normally we just have butter and salt but a few weeks ago I picked up some Kernal Seasonings.  I bought White Cheddar and Chili Lime.  They are both yummy and a nice change from plain popcorn.

How do you like your popcorn?