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Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blends {Win $13,000 Hawaii Vacation Sweepstakes}

February 15, 2013 by 26 Comments

Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blend

Cereal is a big deal… I remember thinking that as a kid. I always would look forward to sleepovers and eating the "good kind" of cereal in the mornings. My friends always seemed to have better cereal options. Like…my friends had Honey Bunches of Oats, we didn’t. In fact, I don’t even remember what we did have… it was that unimpressionable!

Honey Bunches of Oat has always, and will always be one of my favorite cereals. They are just classic, sweet and delicious. Filled with real nuts and fruit, I cannot get enough.

Recently they introduced the newest in their ever-growing cereal lineup. Tropical Blends. This new flavor boosts with tasty flakes, real coconut shavings, granola clusters and that award winning texture you expect from Honey Bunches of Oats.

Just how good is it? Well, I am typically a little spoon person… but for this bowl I grabbed a big spoon, because I couldn’t eat it fast enough! It is so delicious!

Tropical-Sweepstakes

Tropical Trio Sweepstakes

One lucky winner will score a relaxing tropical paradise vacation! Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach, Purex® brand, and Honey Bunches of Oats, have teamed up to offer a total of $13,000 in prizes! Who doesn’t want to win a vacation package to the gorgeous Hawaiian islands?! Enter to win here!

:: Giveaway ::

Disclosure: No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a sample product from Purex/Post (Post is not a sponsor of the giveaway) for the purpose of this honest review. This did not affect the outcome of this review. All opinions are 100% my own. For full disclosure click here.
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Monkey Bread Recipe with Caramel and Pecans

December 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment

monkey-bread

Monkey Bread is a fun sweet treat tradition. There are many ways to make it with lots of variations.  Some people like the glaze to be non-existent, while others like caramel, cinnamon-roll powered sugar cream, or even chocolate sauce! Monkey Bread has traditionally been made in a Bundt pan, but I’ve seen it in jars, crock pots and just a standard cake pan. There is no wrong way to make Monkey Bread…BUT out of all the tasty options… this recipe is by far my favorite! Enjoy!

Caramel Pecan Pull-Apart Monkey Bread Recipe

Ingredients dough:

  • 2 1/4 teaspoons instant active dry yeast
  • 1 ¼ cups warm milk (110F to 115F)
  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 4-5 cups all-purpose flour

Ingredients caramel coating:

  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, cubed
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream

Ingredients in addition:

  • ¾ cup chopped Diamond pecans (or walnuts!)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup butter, melted

Directions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, mix 3 cups flour and salt. Add the butter, sugar, eggs and mix. In a separate bowl dissolve yeast in warmed milk. Combine all into the larger bowl. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Slowly stir in remaining flour to form a firm dough. (Might not use it all).
  2. Place dough on  floured surface and turn it in the flour. Knead until smooth and round ball is slightly tough, about 5-7 minutes. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl (cooking spray works). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap until dough has doubled (about 1-2 hours).
  3. While the dough is rising, make the caramel sauce! In a small saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter and cream to a boil. Cook and stir until blended and melted. Pour 1/3 into a greased Bundt pan; sprinkle with half of the pecans. Set the rest aside.
  4. When dough has risen, punch dough down and shape into approx. 40-50 balls. In a shallow bowl or pie pan, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Have the melted butter in another bowl close by. Dip balls into melted butter, and then roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. If you run out of mixture, just make a little more and continue to roll.
  5. Place half the balls (20-25) in Bundt pan; staggering the seams where the dough balls meet as you layer up. Then top with 1/3 caramel and pecans. Top with remaining balls. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and caramel begins to bubble. (Cover loosely with foil if top browns too quickly.) Cool for 5 minutes before flipping over onto a serving plate. Cool for another 5-10 minutes. Drizzle with the remaining caramel sauce and pecans. Serve warm.

Disclosure: I was compensated a bag of Diamond Walnuts to produce this recipe.

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Banana Chocolate French Toast Recipe

June 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Banana-Chocolate-French-Toa
Do you know anyone who cuts out magazine recipes and ACTUALLY makes them? I didn’t think I did either, but my friend Summer proved me wrong! Of course this doesn’t surprise me, she is always cooking up new tasty recipes, and being a creative gal in general!

Anyway, she sent me this recipe to try because "It’s so good I’ve made it two days in a row!". And if it is THAT good, of course I had to share with my readers too!

Banana Chocolate French Toast Recipe
Cooking Light – May 2012

Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 6 (1 1/2-ounce) slices whole-grain bread
  • 4 1/2 tablespoons hazelnut-chocolate spread (ex: Nutella)
  • 1 cup thinly sliced banana (about 8 ounces)
  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar
Preparation
  1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a shallow dish.
  2. Spread each of 3 bread slices with 1 1/2 tablespoons hazelnut-chocolate spread; arrange 1/3 cup banana slices over each bread slice. Top sandwiches with remaining 3 bread slices.
  3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working with 1 sandwich at a time, place into milk mixture, turning gently to coat both sides. Carefully place coated sandwiches into pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Cut each sandwich into 4 triangles. Sprinkle evenly with powdered sugar.

    4. ** Pair with a cup of mixed berries. This recipe is going to be a sure winner for the whole family!

Substitutions: You can substitute other hazelnut spreads instead of Nutella or almond milk instead of low-fat milk. And if you like cinnamon, add a sprinkle of the too! Delicious!

Reader Follow-Up: Doesn’t this recipe make your mouth water? Are you going to try it too?

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Honey Bunches adds more Bunches! +Giveaway {Ends 6/5}

May 22, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Honey-Bunches-more-bunchesAs a kid my favorite cereal was Honey Bunches of Oats. And still today, my favorite cereal is Honey Bunches of Oats! I guess my tastes have not changed in the area of breakfast. It appears I can’t get enough of the delicious multigrain flakes, the crunchy oat clusters and the sweet honey roasted flavors.

Growing up we only ate the classic Honey Bunches of Oats cereal flavor. But now-a-days the store shelves are full of the tasty Post Cereal brand. Cereal lovers can enjoy the morning with the options of Honey Roasted, Almond, Cinnamon, Strawberries, Peaches, Pecan, Raisin, Banana and Vanilla Bunches!

Bunches of bunches of flavors… that was always my little gripe I had with Honey Bunches. I felt like since their name had the word "bunches" in it, they really should have more bunches in them! It seemed the multigrain flakes were the majority! Well, even if I didn’t request it personally, obviously other people felt the same way! That is why Post Cereal has improved their brand and is now including more bunches! Not only are they adding more delicious granola bunches to each box… I also found out there is a cereal box of JUST BUNCHES! Amazing!

Lucky for me, I got to try the new improvement on my favorite cereal and see if more bunches really do improve the already great taste.

I tried the Honey Roasted original flavor (the one with the yellow label). Before tasting my first bowl, I shook up the box so the ingredients would be mixed – sometimes I find all the goodies have fallen to the bottom. Had to get a fair test-bowl if not, right? :) . The results? YUM!

Like I said before, this is my #1 cereal, so I knew very well the amount of bunches per cereal bowl pour, and I can gladly say, they’ve added more! The variety of the combinations are delicious! More bunches = better taste! These bunches are the best part, crunchy and sweet – and don’t get soggy as fast as flakes! I am excited about the improvement of the Post Cereal Honey Bunches of Oats!

Buy Your Own!! Honey Bunches of Oats made by Post Cereals are available in grocery stores nationally for a suggested retail price of $3.89.

Win Your Own!! A whopping FIVE winners will win a FREE cereal coupon! Just enter the form below!

:: Giveaway ::

a Rafflecopter giveaway

** Please leave your entries using the above Rafflecopter form. It might take a bit to load. **

Disclosure: No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a sample product from the sponsor for the purpose of this honest review. This did not affect the outcome of this review. All opinions are 100% my own. For full disclosure click here.
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Bacon, Sausage, Cheese & Egg Muffins

April 15, 2012 by 2 Comments

Bacon-Sausage-Cheese-Muffin

My hubby is the ULTIMATE breakfast master chef. He makes breakfast for us most weekends, and he knocks it out of the park EVERYTIME. Think I am exaggerating? Think again. (This is my open invitation for you to come to Denver for brunch at our house.) And then, you will see what I mean.

For once. Just for once, I wanted to impress him with my breakfast skills. But I didn’t know how. How do you make breakfast different and original? How can I take breakfast and rock it in my own unique way?

Bacon & Eggs… it’s been done. Quiches… been there, done that. Egg casserole… nothing new.

Then I had it. I saw it on pinterest (surprise, surprise). I took a simple recipe and added my own special touches to make it perfect for our meat-loving household. Behold… Bacon, Sausage, Cheese Muffins!Egg-Muffin-Scramble-Bake-Re

Bacon, Sausage, Cheese & Egg Muffins

 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked, chopped bacon
  • 1 cup cooked crumbled breakfast sausage
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 cup grated cheese of choice (we used cheddar)
  • 1/2 small yellow onion (diced)
  • 8 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • salt and pepper

Directions

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

- In a large skillet, cook bacon. Chop into small-medium bits. Set aside. Using the same skillet, cook crumbled breakfast sausage. Set aside.

- Chop onion (other veggies if you choose). Grease tin cups in a 12 muffin tin pan with butter or shortening.

- Whisk together eggs and milk, a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in bread crumbs, cheese, sausage, onion and bacon, leaving just a handful of bacon and cheese for the topping. Fill the muffin tip cups evenly with the mixture. Sprinkle the remaining bacon and cheese atop of the egg mixture for presentation purposes!

- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, eggs should be completely cooked through (you can test with toothpick). To remove the muffins, run a small butter knife around the cups to loosen and pull up. Serve warm.

Cheesy-breakfast-bacon-muff

** This recipe is a winner! It can be reheated for breakfast, dinner or a quick snack! Not to mention, these are so versatile, you can add the veggies and cheese of your choice, ham and more!

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Giveaway! 2 Win! Hungry Jack Hashbrown Preparation Kit {7/24}

July 11, 2011 by 210 Comments

Hungry-Jack-Hashbrown-Happy-Hints

My hubby rules breakfast. I going to brag for a moment. Basically, I am one of those spoiled wives that gets to sleep in on the weekends, while my amazing husband cooks our first meal of the day. Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Fresh Fruit, Hungry Jack® Premium Hash brown Potatoes … you name it, he cooks it!

One of his favorite breakfast traditions is a recipe passed down from generations, “Grandma Sullivan Eggs”. This was a breakfast dish that had all the leftovers from the night before in it. To guarantee leftover didn’t go to waste, all leftovers went in the morning skillet with eggs. Although, we don’t put our dinner remains in from the night before, we use the same idea, tons of meat and veggies in the eggs.

He uses jalapeños, tomatoes, bacon, cheese and potatoes… It is delicious. Some mornings he cubes potatoes, other days he shreds them, or when we are running late, he uses frozen hash browns. For the first time we tested out the Hungry Jack® Premium Hash brown Potatoes in our “Grandma Sullivan Eggs” and we think that they are are great quick solution! These hash browns are made with 100% Idaho® Potatoes, come in a box and cook quickly (approx. 15 minutes)! They worked great in our scramble!

Hungry Jack Contest: Hungry Jack recently launched photo contest, the “My Happy Hungry Jack Family Photo Contest”. Between now and July 31st, you can enter for a chance to win a $3,000 kitchen shopping spree. All you have to do is simply upload a photo of you and your family enjoying Hungry Jack Premium Hash brown Potatoes with a brief caption of how you enjoy your hash brown potatoes. The photo and caption can be anything from eating hash brown potatoes for “brinner” (breakfast for dinner) with your family, as an outdoor meal while out on a camping trip or as a snack while your kids are doing their homework – whatever you upload and write is up to your imagination!

Now you can try the NEW Hungry Jack Premium Hashbrown Potatoes and cook them in your “Hash brown Preparation Kit.” Hungry Jack is giving away this kit to TWO lucky WithOurBest readers!  Hungry-Jack-Hashbrown-Giveaway

 

{Giveaway}

 

WIN IT!! TWO readers will win the prize:  “Hashbrown Preparation Kit” prizes, valued at $25. The kit includes a pan, spatula, apron and samples of the product!

To Enter: Leave one comment for EACH of the following entries you choose. Mandatory entry MUST be done for all extra entries to count.

Mandatory entry:
+1 Leave a comment telling us what you like to eat alongside your hash browns.

Extra entries:

+1 Follow @WithOurBest on Twitter (leave twitter ID)
+1 Fan/Like WithOurBest on Facebook
+1 Subscribe via email and/or via Feed Reader RSS
+1 Follow on Google Friend Connect (located on sidebar)

+1 *new* Add our blog button to your sidebar. (provide link)*
+1 *new* Add this giveaway to any (up to +5 entries) giveaway linkys. (provide link)*
+1 *new* Share on Facebook, Stumble, Digg, Blog, Etc. (provide link)*
+1 *updated* DAILY Tweet (Use Retweet button or copy/paste into Twitter)

#Giveaway @WithOurBest Blog #Win Hungry Jack Prep Kits ($25) http://bit.ly/qFOiXI {Ends 7/24}

*In order for your entry to count please provide a link in your comment showing where you posted about the giveaway.

Rules: Open to US residents 18 years or older. Winner chosen at random via random.org. Winners will be emailed and have 48hours to respond.  BEST OF LUCK!
Disclosure: No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a sample product  from Hungry Jack & Family Review Network for the purpose of this honest review. This did not affect the outcome of this review. All opinions are 100% my own. For full disclosure click here.

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Review: NEW Seneca Apple Cinnamon & Vanilla Peach Oatmeal & Fruit Cups!

April 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Holy heck yum! Our family absolutely loves the new Oatmeal and Fruit cups by Seneca! These handy cups are made with real fruit and require no water or milk! It is a simple way to eat oatmeal – just heat in the microwave and eat!Seneca-Fruit

I am beyond thrilled my husband loves this so much! He rarely has anything more than a cup of coffee for breakfast, but lately he’s been having these daily!! He loves both the Apple Cinnamon and the Vanilla Peach flavors! His favorite part of these cups: “the real fruit chunks found at the bottom!” Hooray, we found something he’ll eat in his morning rush!!

Seneca Farms Oatmeal & Fruit – is the perfect choice for anyone who has trouble finding time for breakfast in the morning. These cups take less time than it does to make a cup of coffee, heat the six-ounce microwaveable cup – in the microwave for 45 seconds.

Seneca’s Oatmeal & Fruit has no trans fats or cholesterol, and is a great source of Vitamin C.   Seneca-Fruit-AppleWe tested the two initial flavors– Apple Cinnamon and Vanilla Peach.   And we are excited that more flavors and retailers will be added in the coming months. (I heard Cranberry Apple is another option soon! YUM!)

Seneca Farms Oatmeal & Fruit is not only a quick and healthy breakfast option, but it is a satisfying mid-afternoon snack and it even works as part of a healthy weight loss plan for those looking to lose or maintain weight loss.

Did you know that*…

  • Nearly 60% of U.S. parents of children ages 3-17 admit that their child skips breakfast, with more than half of U.S. Moms wishing their child ate a more nutritious breakfast.
  • 58% of U.S. Moms say they skip breakfast regularly. 46% of Moms who skip breakfast say they do so because they do not have enough time to prepare or eat it.
  • 57% of single adults say the number one reason they skip breakfast is that they don’t have enough time to prepare it.
  • While 71% of U.S. adults agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, 67% of those admit to skipping breakfast. Free-special-offer-for-seneca

    • *Results of 2011 Children’s Nutrition Survey, conducted by Harris Interactive for Seneca Farms

Seneca Fruit has a lot of great healthy foods and they are sold all over the nation, including Wal-Mart stores. For the full list of locations, check out Seneca’s store locations.

Do you want to try Seneca’s Oatmeal and Fruit cup too?? Print your coupon on their Facebook  page! This coupon is limited to the first 5,000 downloads, so hurry! It expires August 31, 2011.

Disclosure: This post was written for Family Review Network & Seneca who provided the complimentary product for review in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect the outcome of this review. All opinions are 100% my own. For full disclosure click here.

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