Easter Cooking with Del Monte #10minutewow

I love a good excuse to cook for a crowd: birthday parties, holidays, summer barbeques.  It's a great time to combine tried and true recipes with some exciting new ones.  With Easter coming up, I am gathering recipes and ingredients to make some delicious sides to go with the huge dinner my mom is preparing.

Ham is always on our menu at Easter, so corn casserole is a must.  Over the years, I've tried several variations on the recipe.  This year I'm planning to make Del Monte's Cheddar Corn Casserole.  It combines sweet corn with savory flavors to create a rich dish, perfect for the holiday table.  Thankfully for us, there are lots of vegan cheeses and gluten free stir-ins I can substitute in the recipe to make it a dish all of us can enjoy.

If lamb is on your menu, Del Monte has a recipe for Peas 5 Ways, that is easy to customize to ensure a great pairing.  The Asian-style sweet peas, with teriyaki and almonds, sounds like it would be a hit in our house.

Making salmon for Easter?  Try Del Monte's Lemon-Garlic Green Beans with Crispy Crumbs.  It's a lighter alternative to green bean casserole, using lemon juice, garlic, and bread crumbs.


There's only a few days left until Easter, but Del Monte has your side dishes covered with their #10minutewow recipes.  Easy to make and minimal ingredients, they'll help you serve a delicious Easter lunch with plenty of time left to hunt Easter eggs with your little ones.

Product was provided for review.  All opinions are our own.

Sunbutter Cream Pie (DF, GF, Peanut Free)

Ingredients:
Box of Healthy Top or two cans of coconut milk, chilled and separated
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup Sunbutter
2 tsp vanilla
Enjoy Life chocolate chips
Premade gf chocolate crust, like Mi-Del

Directions:
Whip a box of Healthy Top or canned coconut milk with electric mixer until peaks form.  Add 1/4 cup honey, 3/4 cup Sunbutter, and 2 tsp. vanilla, until mixed well. Pour into a gf/df crust and top with Enjoy Life chips and homemade Sunbutter cups.  Allow to set up in fridge for at least 4 hours.

Food Allergies: On a Budget

One of the toughest parts of having food allergies is fitting special foods into our (tight) budget. My 3 year old and I both eat dairy and gluten free, and he is peanut free too. So shopping and meal planning involves lots of label reading and creativity. Life would be so much easier if he wasn't so picky too.

So how do we afford our allergies?

Meal Plan: We go to the store with a list and try to stick to it. Our dinners are pretty basic, meat, starch, veggies. Meals like tacos, pot roast, salads, and chicken with rice require little substitution to fit our restrictions, so we rotate them in a lot.
 
Discount Stores: Aldi's carries fresh fruit and veggies priced at a fraction of the regular stores. Plus they have the G-Free line that has amazing gluten free bread. (No toasting required!) If you're lucky enough to have a "seconds," salvage, or bent and dent store nearby, utilize it. We find great deals at our local bent and dent store every week, things like gluten free baking mixes for $1 or dairy free ice cream pints for 50 cents.

(Recent discount store buys.  Spent $4 on what's shown)

Coupons: It's rare to find coupons for specialty foods in the weekend paper, but ones for products like Chex or Prego are often offered. Plus, if you write to companies or join their mailing lists, they will occasionally send coupons out.

Buy Straight from the Source: Look for a CSA in your area or farmers willing to sell directly to you. We buy a quarter of beef once and year, and the price works out cheaper per pound than buying at the store.

What are your best tips for handling allergies on a budget?

McCain Grocery Goodness {Contest}

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for McCain Foods. I received a promotional item as a thank-you for participating. 
 Fall is a busy time for us, with school and homework, play dates, soccer, and lots of spur of the moment adventures in the beautiful weather.  But, we always find a way to sit down to dinner together, giving us a chance to hear about each others' days.
 
McCain also believes in the importance of family meals, and is currently hosting the Grocery Goodness Facebook Giveaway.  Each week they will select one winner (8 winners total) to receive a $500 grocery store gift card!  Check out the Grocery Goodness Giveaway tab to receive a $1 off coupon off any 1 bag of McCain Potato products.
 

Beanfields Nacho Bean & Rice Chips: Review

Last year we were excited to find out about Beanfields chips. Made from beans and rice, the chips are free of all the top 8 food allergens (plus are corn free).

Until recently I didn't realize just how many people have to deal with food allergies. I've been gluten free for quite awhile, but in the past 5 months have become dairy free as well. It can be so hard to find quick snacks that still taste good.

Beanfields chips are a yummy, filling snack, that are easy to grab on the go. The newest addition to the Beanfields line are their Nacho Bean & Rice Chips. They offer 4 grams of protein per serving, as well as 4 grams of fiber. Plus they are Non-GMO and vegan.I had to laugh when my (non-allergy suffering, hater of all my "free-from-everything" foods) hubby announced how good the chips were. He is by far the biggest snacker in the house, and the hardest to please, but he loved the nacho chips. They have a great flavor and texture.

Buy It:
You can buy Beanfields chips at a natural food store near you or order online. They retail for $2.99-$3.99 for a 6oz bag or $1.19-$1.49 for a 1.5oz snack size.

Samples were provided for review. All opinions are our own.

Danimals Rally for Recess

Yogurt is one of the top choices for snacks in our house. My son has it at least once a day, if not more. And if he's with us in the grocery store, Dannon is typically the top pick, especially the Danimals Coolision Tubes. He loves the flavor, and I love how portable they are.

Dannon Danimals recently launched it's national initiative, Rally for Recess, as an effort to motivate parents and kids to support recess, and overall health and fitness of children. As schools nationwide have been forced to cut recess time due to limited resources, childhood obesity has been on the rise. Dannon Danimals wants kids to get back to the playground.
Rally for Recess is a healthy competition between schools across the country. Five schools have the opportunity to win new playground equipment and an all-day recess celebration. Through February 8, 2012 you can find codes on Danimals packaging (or free by mail). Then head to the Rally for Recess site to enter and register your school online. The schools in each of the five categories (based on size) with the most codes registered wins!


Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Danimals and received a gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Back to School with Eight O'Clock Coffee: Giveaway

Closed: Congrats to Tes283

We are a few weeks into school, and I still am looking for all the back to school tips I can get. It seems that every night we rush around before bed getting everything ready for the next day, but come morning, we still feel unprepared.

With a new baby, I'm up all night long, so starting my day with a cup of coffee is essential. Eight O'Clock is perfect for a pick me up in the morning, and they have also come up with a few back to school tips to help our hectic household.

Tip 1: Become Your Own Brewista – Save time, money and gas this back-to-school season by brewing your morning coffee at home. You can even set your coffee maker’s timer the night before to wake up to great-smelling Eight O’Clock Coffee.

Tip 2: Preplan Lunch – A few days before school starts, sit down with your kids and create a grocery list of healthy snacks and lunches they would like for school. Rotate each of their selections throughout the week. Make Tuesday "Turkey Tuesday" or Wednesday "Wrap Wednesday" – adding variety to keep lunch exciting. When possible, pack their lunch the night before to reduce stress in the morning.

Tip 3: Assemble Weekly Wardrobes – Every Sunday check the upcoming weekly weather forecast with your kids. Then, have them pick out five outfits for the upcoming school week. Hang them in daily order in their closet to avoid the inevitable, "Mom, I can’t find my favorite blue shirt!"

Tip 4: Be Prepared for School Projects – Avoid late night rushing around to complete school projects by having art supplies on hand. Create an arts and craft bin that includes more than just crayons and colored paper. Collect items like pipe cleaners, stickers, figurines, beads – even coffee beans – and other creative finds, and put the fun back in school projects.Win It: To help get your school year off to a good start, Eight O'Clock is offering one lucky reader a Back to School Parent Survival Pack, which includes a drawstring bag, travel mug and 2 bags of Eight O’Clock Coffee

Mandatory entry: Tell me your best tip for keeping your house running smooth in the morning.

Want extra entries? (Leave separate comments for each)

• Follow me on Blogger
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Be sure to leave a way to contact you.
Giveaway ends 9/23 at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be notified via email, so be sure to leave a way to contact you. Open to US only.

Product was provided for review. All opinions are my own.

Orchard Bars Review

With this pregnancy, I am constantly snacking. I rarely feel like eating a huge meal, but am more than happy to eat snacks throughout the day. My fridge is full of string cheese, fruit, and carrots. The only problem I have is finding gluten free snacks that are easy to eat on the run or in the car.

I was recently introduced to Orchard Bars. Orchard Bars are fruit and nut bars that cater to many special dietary needs. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, kosher, and vegan. Orchard Bars are low in sodium, high in Omega-3, and a good source of protein. They contain no preservatives, no artificial flavors or colors, and no cholesterol or saturated fat.
So how do they taste?

That is always my first question when I find a new gluten free snack, because often times the taste doesn't live up to my expectations and I find myself throwing away the rest of the box or pawning it off on my husband.

With Orchard Bars, I wasn't disappointed. They are fruity and sweet, without being overpoweringly so. As soon as you open the wrapper, you can smell the fruit. You can taste the fruit, nuts, and sunflower seeds, and the texture is a great combination of chewy and crunch.

Orchard Bars are available in 3 flavors:
Blueberry Pomegranate & Almond
Pineapple Coconut & Macadamia
Strawberry Raspberry & Walnut

I'm absolutely in love with the Strawberry Raspberry & Walnut flavor. Delicious!

The only thing I don't like? No stores in my area carry them! However, Orchard Bars can be purchased online or in some brick and mortar stores. Plus, they are coming to more stores soon.

Buy It: Orchard Bars can be purchased online for $14.95 to $25.95 for boxes of 12-20.

Check them out:
Follow Orchard Bars on Twitter
Like them on Facebook

Product was provided for review. All opinions are my own.

Top 100 Pasta Dishes: Cookbook Review

My house is full of picky eaters. It seems like everyone has a list of what they will or won't eat, or in my case, what I can eat. However, it seems like every week my meal plan includes at least one pasta night.

I recently had the chance to check out Top 100 Pasta Dishes: Easy Everyday Recipes that Children will Love by Annabel Karmel. The book is filled with such a variety of pasta dishes that it wasn't hard to find a new recipe to try. The topics in the book include pastas for babies and toddlers, plus poultry, meat, fish, and veggie dishes. I was excited to try the Fusilli with sausage and sweet peppers. It's filled with tangy cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, and spicy sausage. And even though the heartburn with this pregnancy is through the roof, I constantly want to eat peppers and tomatoes from our garden, so I found this recipe to be amazing. The best part? It was ready in under 30 minutes. The only substitution I made was corn pasta for the typical wheat pasta, but it was still a hit in our house.

I really like that the book tells readers what ages the recipes are appropriate for, as well as whether or not they are suitable for freezing. The recipes also use ingredients I typically have on hand and offer quick meals for those of us who are always rushing at dinnertime. We can't wait to try out more recipes.

Buy It: Top 100 Pasta Dishes by Annabel Karmel will be available August 9th for $18.

A copy of the book was provided for our review. All opinions are our own.

It's National Ice Cream Month! Review

In case you haven't heard, July is National Ice Cream Month, which means you have the perfect excuse to indulge in a sweet treat or two. To help you celebrate, Breyers, Klondike, Popsicle, and Reese's, have several new treats in your grocer's freezer section.

Breyers Blasts!
Breyers has several new Blasts! flavors out. Each one features some of the most popular cookies or candy pieces. With so much flavor packed into every scoop, it might be hard to pick a favorite.
Breyers Blast! flavors include:

• OREO Chocolate Cookies
• OREO Cookies & Cream Mint
• Mrs. Fields Mint Fudge Brownie
• Mrs. Fields Chocolate Fudge Brownie
• Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chunk Cookie Dough
• Chips Ahoy! Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Whoppers
• Waffle Cone with HERSHEY’S® Chocolate Chips

Klondike Bars
Klondike bars are always a hit in our house. Not only are they delicious, but with their chocolate coating, they are one of the least messy treats that I can offer my 6-year-old on a hot day.The new Klondike flavors include:

• Mint Chocolate Chip Bar
• What the Fudge? Brownie Sandwich

Reese's
Since Little Man is allergic to nuts, we typically keep our house nut-free. But with this pregnancy, I have craved chocolate and peanut butter together more often than I'd like to admit. So, I keep a stash of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups hidden for after he goes to bed. Now Reese's offers a Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cup. I actually found these in my local grocery store several weeks ago and had to try them. They definitely satisfy my cravings with their slightly salty peanut butter and creamy chocolate coating.


Popsicle
By far one of my son's favorite treats are frozen pops. I'm always amazed at how quickly he can devour them! Popsicle Jolly Rancher Awesome Twosome ice pops are no exception. Little Man gave them two thumbs up and loved that there was more than one flavor inside his pop.

The new Popsicle flavors include:

• Jolly Rancher Awesome Twosome ice pops
• AirHeads ice pops

With so many new frozen treats, our only problem is finding time to try them all!

Buy It:
Find Breyers, Klondike, Popsicle, and Reese's in your grocer's freezer section

Samples were provided for review. All opinions are our own.

Summer Snacking with Sargento

The end of school and beginning of summer means lots of chaos in our house. Their are tons of special activities at school, field trips, soccer practices, and excitement over upcoming vacations. All this planning and running around means I have little time to think ahead about dinner, let alone snacks.

Luckily, we were recently introduced to Sargento Fridge Packs. These easy-to-spot and store packs of cheese sticks fit easily into our refrigerator and allow kids and grown-ups access to a healthy snack. The well-designed Fridge Packs allow the cheese to be displayed, rather than tossed into a drawer, and I don't know about you, but I often grab the first thing I see when I'm hungry for a snack.Sargento Fridge Packs are offered in 3 flavors, Light String Cheese, Colby-Jack Cheese Sticks, and Mild Cheddar Cheese Sticks. They, like all Sargento cheese snacks, are 100% natural and never processed.

I am definitely partial to the Light String Cheese, and have been eating one as an afternoon snack most days. But all the varieties are going fast around here. I especially had to giggle when someone opened the fridge and was excited to see we had the "good cheese."
Spring Clean Your Fridge
Sargento recommends spring cleaning your fridge and your snacking habits this year. Making healthy choices isn't nearly as hard when you keep things like fruit, veggies, and cheese in easily accessible places.Buy It
Sargento Fridge Packs (containing 18 sticks) are available in most groceries stores for $6.99

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Sargento and received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Beanfields Bean & Rice Chips: Review

Ever since going gluten-free last summer, I've been looking for healthy snack foods that I can still munch on. Some days it's a struggle to find something that tastes good, is fairly healthy for me, and satisfies my craving for something "snacky."

I was recently introduced to Beanfields Bean and Rice chips. They are gluten (and corn) free, made in the USA, and offer a healthier alternative to potato chips. Beanfields Bean and Rice chips have 4 grams of protein in every serving, as well as 4 grams of fiber.

Beanfields Bean and Rice chips are available in four flavors: Sea Salt, Sea Salt & Pepper, Naturally Unsalted, and Pico De Gallo.We tried the Sea Salt and Sea Salt & Pepper flavors and were surprised at just how good they were. Hubby was a little leery at eating a chip made from beans, but I caught him eating more than his share after he tried them.

Beanfields Bean and Rice chips are crunchy and very flavorful. I loved the seasoning on the Sea Salt & Pepper. They had just the right amount of "kick" from the pepper. Very, very addictive. And I don't need to feel guilty for eating them!

Buy It
Find Beanfields Bean and Rice chips at a natural food store near you, or order online. A 6 oz bag retails for $2.99 to $3.99.

We received product to review. All opinions are our own.

Big G Whole Grain Cereal: Giveaway

In our house, most breakfasts consist of simple foods. We all like to sleep in until that last possible moment, so breakfast has to be quick, but filling.

For both my husband and little one, cereal is a go-to meal. Even at lunch time, they will occasionally request a bowl of cereal. But, I can't complain when many of the cereals they choose offer a good serving of whole grains.

Every Big G cereal contains at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving, with more than 20 Big G cereals delivering 16 grams or more. (At least 48 grams of whole grain are recommended daily.) A diet high in whole grain has been found to help with diabetes and weight management, and may help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.
Big G cereals include:

• Cheerios
• Lucky Charms
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch
• Honey Nut Cheerios
• Fiber One
• Total

Studies have found that frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights. Plus, they consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than non-cereal eaters.

The Lean Belly Prescription by Dr. Travis Stork, MD and host of The Doctors, states that research has shown that belly fat carries more health risks than fat stored elsewhere. In his book, Dr. Stork offers the "Laws of Leanness," including:

If you love to graze: Nosh all day long on your favorite fruits and vegetables to help keep your belly full
If you love fatty foods: discover which fats can actually strip away pounds
If you love soda: substitute more delicious drinks that can help you lose up to four pounds in four weeks

The book contains other great tips as well, including how to eat out while watching your food intake, how to "eat the rainbow," and how to make skinny swaps. Plus, there are exercises, recipes, and activity guides.Win It: One lucky reader will win a copy of Dr. Storks book, The Lean Belly Prescription, and a coupon for a free box of Multigrain Cheerios

Mandatory entry: Tell me in the comments which Big G cereal you enjoy starting your day off with.

Want extra entries? (Leave separate comments for each)

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Giveaway ends 3/31 at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be notified via email. Open to US only.

Thanks to General Mills for providing me with free product, information, and prize packs through MyBlogSpark. However, all opinions are our own.

Free Movie Night on General Mills: Giveaway

***Closed: Congrats to katychick***

Going to the movies is a big event in our house. Little Man is always ecstatic to hear that we're heading out to the theater. He loves the excitement of the big screen, the overly buttery theater popcorn, and hanging out as a family. (Thank goodness he's still young enough to want to hang out with his parents.)

The only problem with family movies out? The cost. It seems that ticket prices keep going up. Add in the cost of popcorn, a soda, and the mandatory box of gummy bears and it feels like you're breaking the bank for two hours of fun.
General Mills understands that family movies are a great way to spend a night together. So they are offering consumers a movie night on them. Starting now, you can receive a free movie ticket when you purchase two specially marked packages of Big G cereals including:

• Honey Nut Cheerios (17 oz.)
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch (17 oz.)
• Lucky Charms (16 oz.)
• Trix (14.8 oz)
• Reese´s Puffs cereal (18 oz.)

After purchasing two of the participating cereals, visit the General Mills e-Movie Cash site to enter the unique code found inside each box of cereal. Then print your free Movie Cash certificate (good for one admission of up to a $12 value at participating theatres). To find a participating theater in your area check out the theater locator tool.

Win It: Win a "Family Flick Night" gift pack which will include two boxes of the participating Big G cereals and four Movie Cash certificates.

Mandatory entry: Which Big G cereals are you looking forward to purchasing to earn e-movie cash?

Want extra entries? (Leave separate comments for each)

• Follow me on Blogger
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• Tweet this giveaway (Leave link/Once a day only)
• Blog about the giveaway with a link to this post. (Leave your link)
  

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Giveaway ends 12/7 at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be notified via email. Open to US only.

Thanks to MyBlogSpark and General Mills for providing the information and giveaway in this post. All opinions are my own.

DOLE in the 2011 Rose Parade

I've mentioned before just how much our family loves DOLE fruit products. They are healthy and convenient, and being constantly on the run, I love that they offer a simple way to get in our servings of fruit.

DOLE is proud to be the first major brand to pack its Fruit Bowls and multi-serve Jarred Fruit in 100% fruit juice. There's no syrup, no refined sugars, and no artificial sweeteners.

To celebrate, DOLE will be joining in the 2011 Rose Parade with a Living Well in Paradise float. And, they are offering one lucky DOLE fan and their guest the chance to attend the 2011 Rose Parade!Entering is easy, simply “Like” DOLE on Facebook and fill out the sweepstakes entry form. One lucky Dole fan, plus one guest, will win a four day and three night trip to Los Angeles from December 30, 2010 to January 2, 2011 to attend the 2011 Rose Parade with premium VIP seats in the grandstands during the parade. The sweepstakes will also randomly award 100 DOLE Rose Parade Limited Edition Commemorative Pins each week between Nov. 4, 2010 to Dec. 23, 2010.

Good luck!

Information was provided for this post by DOLE. All opinions are my own.

Eating Gluten Free

Every time someone finds out I don't eat wheat or gluten, they act like I'm crazy. You don't eat pasta? You can't have cake? You won't even try a bite of pizza?

People always see negatives. But the thing is, I do eat pasta, and cake, and pizza. I just have to make it myself, without gluten. To be perfectly honest, I eat better now than I did before going gluten free.

I wake up and make myself eggs with lots of veggies and a side of sliced tomatoes. Instead of eating something from a microwavable box for lunch, I have a salad with leftover chicken or I make a quick stir fry from whatever's in the fridge.

For dinner, I serve grilled or roasted meat, a potato or rice, and lots of veggies. If we want pasta, I make a rice pasta. Pizza? I use a gluten free crust mix. Which, by the way, makes some delicious cheesy bread.

When it comes to sweet stuff, I love experimenting with gluten free desserts. There's been brownies, cake, and donuts. My favorite so far?

Chex Treats
1 bag marshmallows
1/4 cup butter
7 cups of Chex (I mixed rice and corn)
handful of chocolate chips

Melt butter and marshmallows in microwave. Start with 1 minute, check every 20-30 seconds until marshmallows are melted and smooth.

Stir in Chex.

Put mixture into a well greased 13 x 9 inch pan, press until even.

Top with chocolate chips and press them into treats.We won't discuss how quickly a huge batch disappeared in our house this week.

Have you voted for my Gluten-Free Big Hit recipe today?

This is me. Begging.

At the end of August, I shared my recipe for Cheese Steak Taquitos with Avocado Cream as part of the Big Hit contest through the Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association. Then a few weeks ago, amazingly, I found out I was chosen as one of the 8 finalists.

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of papers, photos, anticipation. For me, it's definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity. My recipe is now posted over at The Big Hit along with the only professional picture I've ever had taken.And this is where you come in. I need your votes! The top prize is $5000. Yes, $5000! I don't think I've ever seen that amount all once, and can only imagine how much it could help us out.

Head over to the Big Hit and put in your vote. (My card is yellow: Staci) Pretty, pretty please.

Totino's Box Tops for Education & Giveaway

***Closed: Congrats to Jen!***

With school and soccer in full swing, I'm always on the look out for quick after school snacks. Even if Little Man isn't starving after school, his daddy is usually ready for a snack at that point in the day.

Totino's Party Pizza and Pizza Roll Snacks are great for the moments when we're in a huge hurry. Both are easy to heat up and are ready in minutes.Currently, Totino's is offering two Box Tops for Eduction on their products. But you have to hurry to take advantage of this offer as it ends today! We keep our Box Tops in an envelope on the fridge and Little Man loves taking a huge pile into school with him during the collection times. He's so excited to be able to help out his school (while eating foods he loves.)
Win It: One lucky reader will win a Totino's prize pack, including coupons for Totino's Party Pizza and Pizza Roll Snacks, a backpack, school supplies, and 25 Bonus Box Tops.

Mandatory entry: What's your best tip for making back to school time easier?

Want extra entries? (Leave separate comments for each)

• Follow me on Blogger
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Giveaway ends 9/22 at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be notified via email. Open to US only.

Thanks to MyBlogSpark and General Mills for providing the information and giveaway in this post. All opinions are my own.

End of Summer Smoothies with Dole

While I'm loving the sudden onset of fall weather these past few days, I was far from ready to say goodbye to summer. To celebrate the end of the season, we recently hosted an end of the summer party with smoothies from Dole.

Dole offers a variety of frozen fruits including Blackberries, Blueberries, Dark Sweet Cherries, Mango, Pineapple Chunks, Raspberries, Sliced Peaches, Sliced Strawberries, Sliced Strawberries in Sugar Tub, Whole Strawberries, Wild Blueberries, Wildly Nutritious Mixed Berries, Wildly Nutritious Mixed Fruit, and Wildly Nutritious Tropical Fruit. We picked up a few different varieties so that everyone at our party could design their own smoothie.

So which smoothie creations turned into favorites?

First of all, the Dark Sweet Cherry Smoothie was a hit. We combined vanilla yogurt, Dole's Dark Sweet Cherries, cherry juice, and a little ice in the blender to create a smoothie that was a mix of sweet and tart.
The second favorite was the Strawberry Blueberry Smoothie. We used Dole's Blueberries and Whole Strawberries, plain yogurt, and apple juice. Everyone agreed that it was a delicious combo.

Another smoothie that was quickly devoured was the Wildly Nutritious Mixed Fruit Smoothie. Using Dole's Wildly Nutritious Mixed Fruit as the base, we added yogurt, and pineapple juice. The Wildly Nutritious Mixed Fruit includes pineapple, strawberries, peaches, honeydew, and mangoes. Yum!Saying goodbye to summer is tough, but celebrating definitely made the end of summer a little better.

Dole's frozen fruits are easy to use and good for you. I love that I can easily store a few bags of Dole's frozen fruit in my freezer and have custom smoothies any time throughout the year. Plus, I bet the fruit would taste amazing on top of ice cream sundaes!

Product was provided for us to host a Dole Smoothie party. All opinions are our own. We really do love our smoothie creations!

The Big Hit Avocado Blog Tour

I didn't grow up eating avocados. To be honest, I don't think I even tried one until just last year. After hearing so much about the benefits of adding them to your diet, I had finally decided to pick one up at the grocery store.

We've been using them in our house ever since.

Recently, my diet has changed and I've had to rethink and relearn a few things in the kitchen. Being gluten-free means no breads, no rolls, no flour tortillas. But it also means feeling better than I have in years and having so much more energy.

There are several things I miss eating, but I've found ways to alter my favorite foods so that I can still enjoy them alongside my family.

Gluten-Free Philadelphia-Inspired Cheese Steak Taquitos with Avocado Cream

Ingredients:
8 Corn tortillas
1 lb thin cut steak slices (or Steak-ums)
1/2 cup thin sliced peppers (we use red, green, and yellow)
1/2 cup thin sliced onion
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup shredded cheddar (substitute your favorite)
2 cups oil for frying
1 medium avocado
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbs fresh lime juice

1. Mix mashed avocado, sour cream, and lime juice in blender until creamy and well mixed. Put in fridge to chill.

2. Heat olive oil over medium heat, then add peppers and onions and cook until soft.

3. Add steak to pan and cook thoroughly.

4. Warm tortillas in microwave for 30 seconds or until pliable.

5. Add small portion of steak, peppers, and onions to warm tortilla and roll up. Secure with a toothpick.

6. Picked up rolled tortillas and drop carefully into hot oil with tongs. Cook until crispy.

7. Top with cheddar cheese and serve with avocado cream. And enjoy!

Did you know?
Avocados are only 50 calories per ounce (around three slices) and are sodium and cholesterol free. Also they contain nearly 20 different types of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients in a one ounce serving.
The "Big Hit" Contest and Avocado League
Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association (MHAIA) is launching the Big Hit contest exclusively for those participating in this blog tour:
The Avocado League is featuring hometown recipes in Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York and Washington, D.C. MHAIA will choose 8 bloggers, one from each featured hometown, with the best recipe from the blog tour as members of the Avocado League, with public voting of their dishes to take place in late September. Avocado League participants and their dish will be professionally photographed and have their own personal profile on the Big Hit microsite.

The Avocado League recipe with the most votes during the Big Hit contest will win the title of Avocado League MVP and the grand slam prize ­ a $5,000 grocery gift card! Second and third place winners will receive a $2,500 and $1,500 grocery gift card, respectively. Each of the top three winners will also receive a year's supply of avocados! The five Avocado League runner-ups will each receive $100 grocery gift cards.

Any consumer can submit their avocado recipe and may be featured as an "all-star" recipe. All voting and recipe posting will take place at the Big Hit site.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association. Mom Central also sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate