#shop Archives | Mama Harris' Kitchen

TWIX Cookie Cups with Sweet Filling Options

June 3, 2014 by MamaHarris 10 Comments

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and its advertiser. #EatMoreBites

Last Thursday RiRi and D-Man both had graduation ceremonies. RiRi graduated 8th grade, and D-Man graduated preschool. We decided to keep D-Man home for the summer so he could enjoy the break with the rest of the kids, that way we could plan our days around summertime fun and activities. One of the first activities I had planned was to get some baking fun going with all the kids home. So the first thing I decided to bake with them to kick off our summer break was a fun recipe based off of my chocolate chip cookies recipe. Chocolate chip cookies is one of the favorites in our house, it’s also one of the most often requested recipes. It’s one of my few recipes that I have almost memorized because these kids just can’t get enough cookies, so when I spotted these TWIX® Bites last week at Walmart I knew just what I’d do with them.

Find TWIX Bites in the candy aisle at WalMart

You can locate TWIX® Bites in the bagged candy aisle at your local WalMart store!

I’m sure that decision was swayed because I went to Walmart with Boobie, and he’s the one that requests these cookies the most often. TWIX® also just happens to be one of my favorite candies, so I was excited to see it in a big bag with bite sized candy inside. I look forward to getting creative with some more recipes, so thankfully I found this great coupon on Social Twist to help me stock up. You can receive $1.00 off when you buy two 2.83 oz. or larger bags OR $3.00 off when you buy two 6 oz. or larger bags.

(Click photo for coupon)

You can also Save $2.00 Off any two (2) MARS Brand Bites, 6oz. or larger. Includes TWIX®, 3 MUSKETEERS®, MILKY WAY® Simply Caramel, MILKY WAY® & SNICKERS® at Coupons.com.

My idea was to make my traditional cookie recipe, replacing chocolate chips with smashed up TWIX® Bites in place. That quickly evolved to making cookie cups in a muffin tin and coming up with a variety of filling flavors that the kids could pick and choose from. Of course Boobie and I decided quickly on a cheesecake filling and Big G decided on peanut butter, D-Man chose toasted marshmallows to give it that campfire feel and RiRi wanted to try it with my butterscotch recipe. Kids love variety, and we thought it’d be fun to see how many varieties we could make with one cookie cup. This would be a fun idea for a toppings bar, just make up some TWIX Bites cookie cups and see what the kids decide to fill them with!

TWIX Cookie Cups Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package Twix Bites, smashed

Butterscotch Filling Ingredients:

1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vinegar

Peanut Butter Filling Ingredients:

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1-1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1-1/2 tablespoon milk

Toasted Marshmallow Ingredients:

about 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

Cheesecake Filling Ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Begin by creaming the butter and sugars in a medium mixing bowl.

Then add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix well and set aside.

In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients (the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt)
Mix together well, then pour into wet ingredients. Stir until just combined, then set aside.

Now, for the fun part. Open up the package of TWIX Bites and pour it out onto a cutting board.

Smash the bites up with a mallet or rolling pin until they are broken up.
You could also use a food processor, but this is for for kids right now, and kids love to smash things (at least my boys do!)

Add smashed candy to the cookie dough mixture, then fold it in.

Roll up the dough into balls or use a cookie scoop and place in a lightly greased regular sized cupcake/muffin pan. Using a melon baller or something similar in size, gently press on each cookie to slightly flatten and give a shallow indentation.

Bake for about 12 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool. Be sure to leave oven on if you’re toasting the marshmallows.

After a few minutes, remove from muffin pan and place on cooling racks to properly cool.

While the cookies are cooling, prepare your butterscotch filling.
Add butterscotch chips to a small saucepan, topping with condensed milk and salt over medium heat.
Once the chips have melted and everything is smooth, remove from heat and whisk in vinegar.
Spoon mixture into the center of cookies.

Add creamy peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar, and milk to a mixing bowl. Beat on high until mixture become smooth.
Pipe into centers of cookies.

Fill in centers of cookies with about 8-10 mini marshmallows and place back in oven for about 5 minutes, or until tops are toasted.

Add cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a small mixing bowl, and mix on high until fluffy.
Pipe into centers of cookie cups.

All ready!

Each flavor was delicious and complimentary to the cookie in its own special way.

RiRi added one of the chocolates to the top of her cheesecake filled cup.

The boys enjoyed the candy as well as the cookies. This was such a fun way to kick off our summer together at home!

Enjoy!

Which filling would you want to try? Would you fill it with something else? And what fun ideas do you have planned for summer?
Let me know in the comments below!

Twix Cookie Cups

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 17 minutes

Yield: 16 servings

Serving Size: 1 cookie cup

Twix Cookie Cups

What to do with TWIX bites? Bake them into cookie cups, of course! These TWIX Cookie Cups are filled with a variety of options to satisfy any sweet tooth.

Ingredients

For the Twix Cookie Cups

1/2 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package Twix bites, smashed

For the Butterscotch Filling

1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vinegar

For the Peanut Butter Filling

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1-1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1-1/2 tablespoon milk

For the Toasted Marshmallow

about 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

For the Cheesecake Filling

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Begin by creaming the butter and sugars in a medium mixing bowl.
Then add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix well and set aside.
In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients (the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt)
Mix together well, then pour into wet ingredients. Stir until just combined, then set aside.
Now, for the fun part. Open up the package of TWIX bites and pour onto a cutting board. Smash the bites up with a mallet or rolling pin until they are broken up.
Add smashed candy to the cookie dough mixture, then fold it in.
Roll up the dough into balls and place in a lightly greased regular sized cupcake/muffin pan. Using a melon baller or something similar in size, gently press on each cookie to slightly flatten and give a shallow indentation.
Bake for about 12 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool. Be sure to leave oven on if you're toasting the marshmallows.
After a few minutes, remove from muffin pan and place on cooling racks to properly cool.
While the cookies are cooling, prepare your butterscotch filling.
Add butterscotch chips to a small saucepan, topping with condensed milk and salt over medium heat.
Once the chips have melted and everything is smooth, remove from heat and whisk in vinegar.
Spoon mixture into the center of cookies.
Add creamy peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar, and milk to a mixing bowl. Beat on high until mixture become smooth.
Pipe into centers of cookies.
Fill in centers of cookies with about 8-10 mini marshmallows and place back in oven for about 5 minutes, or until tops are toasted.
Add cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a small mixing bowl, and mix on high until fluffy.
Pipe into centers of cookie cups.
Enjoy!

https://mamaharriskitchen.com/2014/06/twix-cookie-cups-sweet-filling-options/

#EatMoreBites | #CollectiveBias

Keeping the Tradition Going with Hallmark #ValentineCards

February 4, 2014 by MamaHarris 3 Comments

I was taught at a very young age the importance of a good greeting card. My dad had a certain knack for always picking the best cards that would bring a tear to your eye. I remember always being amazed at how his cards were perfectly suited for each person. Every holiday, birthday and special occasion I knew I could always expect a heartfelt greeting card, and sometimes he would even purchase one “just because”. Of course, those were always the best.

Through the years I’ve followed in my dads footsteps. I’m a total softie, so I favor those long, sentimental and heartfelt greeting cards over the lighthearted funny ones. In fact, I’m known to read every card until I find the one that moves me to tears. My kids always know that they can expect a great greeting card in their stocking for Christmas, as well as every other occasion. And of course, just like my dad, sometimes I’ll pick up a nice card just because. Everyone likes to feel special, right?

Big G is a great card picker too. In fact, he’s pretty particular about the cards he buys. All greeting cards have to have the Hallmark logo on the back, and I love that about him. When I was a teen and would buy greeting cards for my family, I’d always stop at the Hallmark store at the mall to pick up a card or two as well as some nice gifts. Thanks to #CollectiveBias, I discovered the Hallmark Rewards Program and I was beyond excited. Since we love greeting cards, this program is perfect for us. Once you buy five Hallmark cards, you earn a reward! It’s so easy to sign up too, and there’s a convenient app you can download onto your phone so you can scan the back of your card and add up your rewards easily. Perfect!

WalMart has the best selection of Hallmark cards, so I packed the kids up and we went on our search for the perfect cards for Daddy for this Valentine’s Day. We were determined to pick the perfect card, so there was no way we could wait until the last moment when the picking were slim.

There were so many cards to choose from, we had a fun time reading through all of them and finding the perfect one for Daddy. D-Man decided that he wanted to get him something funny, while RiRi and I decided we wanted something a bit more sentimental from each of us.

RiRi read a few to D-Man, while he decided which one was his favorite. He liked the Snoopy cards a lot, but decided he wanted to pick one on his own and try to make out the words. I love that he challenges himself!

The pop-up card caught him by surprise! He was able to make out a few words, but he was still on the hunt for the perfect card.

RiRi looked through some cards, to find the perfect one for Daddy from her…

…while D-Man took a break with a few of his new buddies. It’s never a dull moment with these two!

While those two browsed cards and stuffed animals, I was on the hunt for the tear-jerker card of my very own.

This one was nice, but it left me a bit dry eyed, so I knew it wasn’t the one.

We found our cards – notice they’re all Hallmark? Another thing I learned from my dad was to place your cards like this when you’re ready to check out. It makes it easier for the checker to scan your card without having to take each of them out from under the envelope flap. The bonus is that if there’s bows, ribbons or glitter on the card this leaves minimal damage to that during the checkout process.

Hallmark always has the best selection and the most beautiful and quality cards. There’s always something for everyone, we were very happy with our choices.

The Hallmark Rewards app is also very easy to use. You just open it up and scan the barcode of each card. If they are online orders, you can manually input it.

Select the store that you purchased your cards from.

That’s it! One more card and I get to claim a reward. This is so perfect for us, since we have such a large family. It’s always some kind of special day that we purchase cards for!

Time to sign the cards before Dad finds them! (Nobody show him this post, ok?)

All prepared, with time to spare. Now to find the gifts and candy!

Make sure you check out connectionsfromhallmark.com to sign up for Hallmark Rewards, and to see great content from other bloggers. Join in the #ValentineCards conversation on Twitter!

Say #Cheers2Chocolate with ChocolatRouge this Holiday Season!

December 10, 2013 by MamaHarris 11 Comments

Disclosure: The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older.

Recently I discovered an entirely new experience in wine. It’s a new line called ChocolatRouge Wine and it combines the decadence of rich chocolate flavors with fine red wine. It’s a winning combination! Not only is it great in a wine glass to sip, but you can add it to your favorite recipe to add a bit of richness or even a few splashes to your favorite drink. It’s perfect for the holiday season when everyone wants a fun, spiked recipe. Or even as a great dessert wine to go with your favorite after dinner treat.

I picked up these two wines at my local grocery store, and had some great plans for them. Both of these recipes are great for the holiday season, and would be perfect to serve at your next holiday party or gift exchange.

For the Sweet Red I decided I’d like to create a dessert recipe that the wine could add a little more depth and sweetness to. I found a great looking recipe on the Betty Crocker website and tweaked it a bit to add some spike fun!

I also decided to create a coffee drink with the milk chocolate wine. Coffee, wine, and chocolate, what could be better? I combined the chocolate wine with a mocha coffee and added a little chocolate biscotti to stir it with. Complete with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles! It’s a chocolate lovers dream, and perfect to serve for your guests after dinner while you sit in front of the fireplace and relax in front of the Christmas tree.

Spiked Chocolate Cherry Brownies Ingredients:
Adapted from Betty Crocker Cherry Swirl Brownies

Cream Cheese Filling

1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1 teaspoon maraschino cherry juice
1/2 teaspoon ChocolatRouge Sweet Red Wine
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg

Brownie Mixture

1 box Betty Crocker Original Supreme Brownie Mix (or your favorite brownie recipe) + ingredients listed on package
1/4 cup ChocolatRouge Sweet Red Wine

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients for cream cheese mixture in a mixing bowl. Stir with spoon until combined.

Prepare brownie mix according to instructions, adding the wine with the other ingredients.

Whisk until smooth.

Line an 8×8 square pan with foil, spraying the inside before spreading half of the brownie mixture on top.

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the brownie mixture, then pour the remaining brownie mixture over. spread evenly. Place in oven and bake uncovered for 42-46 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool, remove from pan using foil as handles.

Slice into squares.

Serve with ChocolatRouge Sweet Red Wine. It’s a perfect combo!

Enjoy!

ChocolateRouge Spiked Cafe Mocha

8 ounces mocha coffee, prepared
3 tablespoons ChocolatRouge Milk Chocolate wine
1 Chocolate Biscotti
Whipped Cream
Chocolate Sprinkles

Directions:

Prepare Mocha flavored coffee as you normally would.

Add the ChocolatRouge Milk Chocolate wine.

Top with whipped cream, sprinkles and Biscotti.

Enjoy!

You can find ChocolatRouge wines either in the dessert wines section or near the red wines. To find the closest retailer that carries ChocolatRouge wines, check the store locator. If you’d like to stay connected, follow along on Facebook at facebook.com/ChocolatRougeWine. Also be on the lookout this holiday season for extra savings on ChocolatRouge, my local store had a coupon for $2.00 off!

Creamy & Fun, Müller Quaker Yogurt is a new favorite!

December 8, 2013 by MamaHarris 9 Comments

If there was one “must-have” item on my grocery shopping list each week for my family, it would be yogurt. From my youngest all way up to us as parents, we are definitely a family of yogurt lovers. I usually buy a variety of yogurts, some for little kids, some for the older kids, and different ones for the hubby and I. I like to use mine in smoothies, and sometimes I’ll switch out a plain greek yogurt in a recipe if it calls for something else, just to give it a little added health benefit and protein. My littlest ones love yogurt for breakfast and snacks, and my older kids enjoy them after school before dinner. With such a wide variety of ages and needs, I’m often researching the nutrition labels and sometimes I’m shocked by the ingredients! Many include high fructose corn syrup, and some have hardly any nutritional value. It’s important for me to choose products that have added healthy benefits for my family, especially when it comes to yogurt because they do consume a lot. It’s not an occasional dessert, this is a staple in our home!

Recently, I came across a great personalized deal on my Safeway Just for U app. It was for Müller FrütUp Yogurt by Quaker and it looked interesting so I added it to my card. The next time I went to Safeway, I was browsing the yogurt aisle and I saw the display for all the varieties of Müller Quaker Yogurt at a great sale price of 10 for $1.00 each. I remembered my personalized price I’d added to my card and I decided to buy one in each flavor. There were many flavors and types to choose from. Müller Yogurt is a European yogurt brand that is sold through Quaker company and comes in three different varieties. There’s the Müller® Corner®, which is a smooth and creamy yogurt that has either fruit or crunchy add-ins that you can combine with your yogurt for a unique treat. Then, there’s the Müller® Greek Corner® which is similar to the last one I mentioned, but instead of lowfat yogurt it includes a mild Greek yogurt to mix with those fun ad-ins. Lastly is the one that was included in my Safeway personalized deal, the Müller® FrütUp™ which is lowfat yogurt with a delicious layer of fruit mousse on top. I happily picked up one in each flavor and variety since these were such a great deal!

I just couldn’t help myself, all the flavors sounded so tempting and delicious, and since my family all loves yogurt, I figured there was a flavor for each of us to love. RiRi and I tried a few of them with our breakfast over the weekend and decided to give our feedback.

I was excited to try the Müller® FrütUp™, and we picked the Splendid Strawberry flavor to start with.
Our first look was the light and airy layer of strawberry mousse on top. It was so pretty and looked very tasty.

We stirred it up before getting a taste, and the light and airiness of the mousse combined with the creamy lowfat yogurt was definitely a treat. Even better is that the ingredients are all natural, and none of that high fructose corn syrup that I mentioned that we’re trying to steer clear of. Just pure, fruity deliciousness. This one was my personal favorite.

Next we tried the Müller® Greek Corner® in blackberry and raspberry flavor. I love this combination of berries, and am a big fan of Greek yogurt. Sometimes Greek yogurt can have a strong tang to it, but this one was mild, smooth and delicious and blended well with the berries. The berries have a great texture and there were no seeds or crunchiness. We also enjoyed this style.

The last one we tried was the Müller® Corner® which was a simple vanilla lowfat yogurt with crunchy granola. It combined in a lovely way, the yogurt was smooth and creamy, and folding the corner with the granola over the yogurt was quite fun. This is a great treat on it’s own, or even a great start to an easy dessert where additional fresh fruit can be added.

I look forward to testing the remaining flavor varieties that we purchased, and this may just be my new favorite yogurt brand! Keep an eye out for amazing sales like these the next time you’re at the grocery store and pick a few up for yourself!

You can stay connected and learn more about Müller Yogurt through their Facebook page at facebook.com/mullerquaker, and on Twitter at twitter.com/MullerQuaker.

Have you tried Müller Yogurt yet? What flavors or varieties look most intriguing to you?

M&M’s Peanut Butter Magic Bars with Chocolate Ganache

December 7, 2013 by MamaHarris 7 Comments

I’ve mentioned before that D-Man has a deep affinity for peanut butter. Another of his favorite treats are M&M’s. He loves those plain M&M’s in the brown bag. It never fails, when we’re in line getting groceries or checking out at our local Walmart store, he always has to have the M&M’s. So I had the bright idea to create an easy but delicious dessert
that incorporates the two, and even included a layer of chocolate ganache (which is so simple to make!). What goes better than peanut butter and chocolate, right? I also combined graham cracker crumbs with crushed pretzels for a crust and a layer of coconut underneath some sweetened condensed milk. One thing is for sure, this isn’t diet food! This is for that moment you want to indulge, and you want that rich, sweet and slightly salty flavor. Yes, this is the perfect dessert for those moments. Perfect for an office party, potluck, or even a kids party!

The usual location where we pick up our M&M’s, right in the checkout aisle of Walmart!

I love that you can switch out the M&M’s for various seasonal ones and use this recipe for the dessert for any special occasion or holiday. If you’re a Pinterest user, there’s even a fun contest right now with the Baking is Better with M Sweepstakes. You can win one of 3 $250 Walmart Gift Cards, see the end of this post for additional details.

Crust Layer Ingredients:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1-1/2 cups crushed pretzels
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup shredded coconut
one 12 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

Peanut Butter Layer Ingredients:

1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon heavy whipping cream

Chocolate Ganache Layer Ingredients:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

M&M layer:

one 1.69 ounce bag plain M&M’s
one 1.74 ounce bag peanut M&M’s

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine graham cracker crumbs with crushed pretzels in a medium bowl.

Add sugar and melted butter, mix to combine.

Press crust into an 8×8 baking dish, lined with parchment paper.

Top with shredded coconut, then pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top.

Bake in preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes.

While crust is baking, combine peanut butter and butter, mixing on medium low until combined.

Add powdered sugar and whipping cream, mixing until smooth.

Once crust is removed from the oven and cooled for a few minutes, spread peanut butter mixture evenly over the top. Refrigerate to set.

While letting the peanut butter set on top of the crust, begin to make the ganache. It’s so easy!

Just add the chocolate pieces to a microwave safe bowl, and add whipping cream. Heat in microwave for one minute, at 12 second intervals to stir it just a bit each time.

Once it’s cooked whisk well until smooth.

Pour ganache over the peanut butter mixture and spread evenly.

Top with M&M’s, using both flavors and spreading evenly.

Place in refrigerator to set for at least an hour.

Once firm and cooled, remove from refrigerator. Using the parchment paper, lift out of baking dish to slice.

Cut into 9 pieces.

Serve with a cold glass of milk, these are rich!

Enjoy!

Baking is Better with M Pinterest Sweepstakes

Pin for a chance to win one of three $250 Walmart gift cards! It’s as easy as submitting your email and pinning an image. Simply complete the following steps:

1. Enter your email in the form below and click “Enter”
2. Pin the contest image to any of your own Pinterest boards
3. Visit the Baking with M Pinterest board and Re-Pin your favorites to enter http://www.pinterest.com/cbsocially/baking-with-mms/

Three (3) Winners will be selected at random – One (1) entry per person.
Contest runs 12/06/13 – 12/31/13

Two Ways to Combat Flu Season With Bigelow Tea

November 11, 2013 by MamaHarris 3 Comments

Unfortunately that inevitable season has arrived. No I’m not talking about Thanksgiving or Christmas, or even the holidays in general. I’m speaking about the cold and flu season. Some seasons are just unavoidable for our family, and this is one of them. We take our vitamins, we eat well, we even give ourselves extra boosts for immunity and health. There’s a variety of steps our family takes to try to avoid the sick season, but once one of us gets sick we know what’s to come. Weeks of stuffy noses, coughs, throat aches, congestion, sometimes even fevers and infections. Most often it’s just a simple bug and our throats may hurt a bit but for the most part we are okay. Whether the kids catch it from their peers at school, or Big G catches it from his coworkers I know the moment I hear that first stuffy nose or cough that we’re in for a fight!

During the cold and flu season I always shop in preparation of prevention as well as items to alleviate the discomfort and ease the cold symptoms. Typical items on my list are orange juice, soups, crackers, Hall’s Cough Drops, and Bigelow Tea. Recently, I went to Walmart to shop for my preparation products, and found some great deals on both the teas and cough drops. You can check out more about my Walmart shopping trip here!

Just a tiny glimpse of the large selection of Bigelow Tea on display at Walmart!

When I was a kid, every time anyone was sick my dad would make his special honey-lemon tea. I learned at a young age the powerful effects of a good honey-lemon tea and how helpful it can be with a cold. The honey helps soothe the throat and the lemon helps to break up the congestion. It was always tradition and even now that my dad lives cross-country, whenever any of us gets sick he sends us a photo of his honey lemon tea!

Nowadays though, there is so much more to choose from when it comes to tea! My favorite brand for tea, hands down, is Bigelow Tea. There’s such a variety of assortments and flavors and many have added benefits as well. There’s many types of black, green and herbal teas as well as the seasonal varieties I enjoy too. There’s also an assortment of decaf teas, and the Herb plus line that includes great tasting teas and combines them with added benefits such as antioxidants, probiotics, Omega-3 and B-complex. I just love the varieties you can find with Bigelow Tea, as there’s literally something for everyone.

I started drinking tea regularly when I was about 9 years old. I loved raspberry tea and never added any sweeteners, just drank it warm and as is. To this day, there’s nothing like a delicious cup of tea; whether relaxing after a long day or combating a cold or the flu. I’ve carried on the tradition of making honey-lemon tea for my family when we’re not feeling well, but I’ve also added the benefits of ginger as well. I have asthma and so do my kids, many times our colds will trigger our asthma and we’re left feeling short of breath. Ginger helps open up inflamed airways by reducing inflammation and can also help reduce the pain of a sore throat. I like to start with one of the great tasting Bigelow Teas, this time I used the Wild Blueberry with Acai, then take a few slices of ginger and put it in the hot water while the tea is brewing. Then add the honey and lemon, to taste. This makes for a great tasting tea that leaves you feeling better! Keeping on with the honey-lemon benefits, I also like to keep some honey-lemon Hall’s Cough drops on hand to keep the cough at bay and take care of my throat.

To keep our bodies healthy, I pair some beneficial fruits with my tea. I like to be sure we have plenty of oranges for Vitamin C, blueberries for their healthy antioxidants, and nutrient dense pomegranates. Typically, when you’re feeling under the weather with a cold your appetite is light, so snacking on these fruits paired with some tasty tea is not only delicious but great for you as well!

Since I’m always prone to laryngitis, I have to be sure to drink plenty of fluids and ease any stress that coughing may bring about. In addition to drinking my ginger-honey-lemon tea I always like to keep some cough drops on hand. I actually learned this trick from watching the Wendy Williams show faithfully, but I think it’s so helpful and works great! Every morning you see Wendy on set with her favorite mug. Inside the mug she has hot tea, and while she’s chatting about the days hot topics she’ll peel up a cough drop and put it in her tea. The hot tea paired with the cool menthol of the cough drop helps keep her throat moist and prevents voice loss. The first time I saw this I was intrigued and just had to try for myself. I like to pair the Mint Medley Bigelow Tea with a Hall’s Mento-Lyptus cough drop and sweeten as needed. Works like a charm!

I just have to mention another of my favorite Bigelow Teas, the Vanilla Chai Tea. It’s absolutely delicious paired with honey and I brew it with milk AND water. I don’t typically use this during cold season because of the dairy I add to it, but it’s amazing and great to warm you up during the chilly seasons. It tastes phenomenal and is, by far, my favorite tea combination!

Now, I am not a medical professional, these are just tips to help my family through cold season! What are some of your favorite home remedies to get yourself feeling better fast?

For more information on Bigelow Tea you can like them on Facebook, “like” them on Twitter, and visit the Bigelow Tea Blog. For more inspiration and stories with Bigelow Tea, you can visit the Pinterest Board below!

Mix-and-Match Wine Pairings for the Season

November 5, 2013 by MamaHarris 4 Comments

Can we chat about wine? This past weekend I was browsing the aisles of my favorite Save Mart store and I noticed they were having a fantastic sale on wine. You can buy ANY four (or more) wine and spirits and receive 10% off your total – you even get this cute tote that fits all four bottles! I realized that I don’t talk about wine or alcohol in general in this space, unless it’s added to a sauce or as an additional flavoring to meat. Since the holidays are upon us, I felt this was a subject that we needed to discuss before guests arrive. Plus, I love a good bargain and most of the time wine isn’t cheap!

Now, I’m no wine connoisseur. I’m a Moscato girl through and through and I find most red wines a bit too dry for my taste. I’ve gone wine tasting and I’m always drawn back to the white wines, although there’s a few sweeter red dessert wines that do please my palate. I decided to try four new wines since they were at such a great price. I’m usually more of a cocktail or mixed drinks girl and not much of a beer drinker either. I worked as a cocktail waitress in my past life as well, but that’s another story for another time. Anyhow, sometimes I can appreciate the simplicity of pouring a glass of your favorite wine and sipping – no blender necessary. I decided to only purchase one white wine with this sale, and try my luck with some new deeper colors and flavors!

#shop mix-and-match wines #FreshFinds 3.1

I envisioned the type of meal I would serve with each wine as I purchased them, this helped to ensure that I purchased a wide spectrum. I may not be too knowledgeable in the wine department, but I’m not too bad at pairing flavors so I felt like I was on the right track. My favorite meat sale was also going on at Save Mart so my first thought was, “Which wines would pair well with which meats?” Since it’s the holiday season it’s always a good idea to have a variety of wines on hand, never knowing who might come by for a visit and we all want to be properly prepared. With such a variety of meats and dishes on the menu this holiday season, it’s good to keep a variety in your wine rack.

For the first wine I chose a rich red wine, the Alamos Malbec. This wine was a pleasant surprise to my taste buds. It wasn’t overly sweet but had a nice mild flavor with no dry aftertaste. There’s dark cherry and blackberry flavors in this wine with hints of brown spice and vanilla. The richness of this wine paired well with a traditional spaghetti dish, enhancing the tomato sauce and red wine vinegar that I added, as well as the seasonings and ground meat added to the dish. I felt the wine enhanced the flavors and balanced the entire meal pretty well, bringing out the sweetness in the spaghetti sauce while balancing the spices and flavor. I was pleasantly surprised!

For my next experiment, I paired my one and only white wine, Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc, with a simple and healthy meal. Salmon with brown rice and asparagus. The meal was flavorful and light, and it paired beautifully with the white wine. The wine was a drier white wine and wasn’t too sweet nor tart, and went well with the zesty flavors of the salmon, the nuttiness of the brown rice and the natural flavors in the asparagus.

I couldn’t purchase all this wine without a Moscato, but I changed it up a bit and purchased a Barefoot Bubbly Red Moscato Champagne. I thought it was lighthearted and fun and would be a great wine paired with a casual late lunch. I served this with a flavorful chicken BLT sandwich and lightly battered onion rings. It was just the right amount of fun and the lightness of the Bubbly Moscato was great with the rest of the meal!

For my final experiment, I took a bit of a chance. I purchased a sweet red chocolate wine, ChocolatRouge Sweet Red, which I’m sure is considered a dessert wine. I decided to pair it with a succulent New York Steak served with sweet roasted carrots and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. To be honest this was the first thing on my mind from the moment I purchased these wines. I was excited about this pairing because I knew it’d be different and it was amazing! The sweet richness of the wine was a wonderful match to the simple steak and sides that were full of flavor.

Not only do you get your pick of any wine or spirits, but you get a FREE bag! It’s so cute!

I’d say I chose well and I feel I’ve broadened my palate a bit. I now have a new appreciation for red wines, and I have Save Mart to thank! The last thing you want to do is spend a lot of money on wines that you’re not sure you’ll love, but with this sale it’s totally worth it!

What wines would you purchase and what are your favorite wine and meat pairings?

Moments of Connection with Coffee-Mate Pumpkin Spice #loveyourcup

October 22, 2013 by MamaHarris 4 Comments

Today we’re going to talk about one of my favorite subjects. We’re talking coffee. Actually, scratch that. I’m a coffee addict, but what makes my coffee extra delectable and something I look forward to each day is the creamer. A little secret as to why Autumn is my favorite season.. well, that’s when my favorite seasonal coffee creamers are fully stocked at stores everywhere. My favorite flavor is Pumpkin Spice!

I’ve shared many times my affinity for coffee, about how I fantasize in the evening about the next morning when I will have a sip. Sometimes I’ll even make a second cup in the evening if I have a deadline to meet or some work to do, or if I really just can’t wait until morning. I even collect extra large mugs because an average mug is just too small to have my one cup a day. The secret is it’s not really the coffee that I love. It’s the creamer. Of course, I love my little caffeine rush but if I had to drink it black I wouldn’t drink it at all. What makes my coffee so fantasy worthy is the creamer I add to it. I do love my coffee a lighter shade of beige and I’ve tried quite a few creamers, the one I always come back to is Coffee-Mate. It’s the perfect blend of cream and flavor and the Pumpkin Spice is always my go-to for this season. My heart swells with joy the first time I spot it!

I have a very special weekend routine I’d like to share with you. I wake up early, while the whole house is asleep and I enjoy my quiet time alone. I’m sure any parent of a toddler and preschooler can relate! The very first thing I do when I awake is prepare my coffee. I sip it alone while I write out recipes for the coming week and plan our family meals. Usually RiRi will wake up shortly after me, and we enjoy our coffee together. I bounce ideas off of her for meals, photos and ideas. This is when we bond, just the two of us girls in this house absolutely full of boys. I love our coffee time together, and we are both huge fans of Coffee-Mate Pumpkin Spice. She’s the only other person I trust to make my coffee for me just how I like it, it’s that serious!

Regardless of which roast we buy, or if I buy a flavored coffee like French Vanilla or Caramel, I love the flavor of the Pumpkin Spice by Coffee-Mate and it pairs well with them all. It’s thick enough to where you don’t need too much creamer to get the taste, and it also blends into a pretty beige when mixed. RiRi doesn’t drink coffee every day, but it’s her special indulgence on the weekends with me and we love those quiet moments we can steal away together.

You can find your own seasonal favorite of Coffee-Mate at your local WalMart. The Pumpkin Spice flavor comes in regular and sugar free as well. I also spotted the Peppermint Mocha in regular and sugar free as well!

She’s so adorable with her little hipster mug.

Do you have a favorite moment that you enjoy your coffee? What are your own “Moments of Connection”? I’d love to read all about it!

Healthy (and Gluten Free) Tuna & Avocado Bowls

October 10, 2013 by MamaHarris 9 Comments

When I think of eating healthy, vitamin rich foods one of the things that always tops my list is tuna. Tuna is rich in Omega 3 and protein, and it’s mild taste compliments a variety of meals. Mixed with the right ingredients it can be just the right fuel your body needs when you are eating right and getting in shape. Unfortunately, tuna tends to get combined with a ton of bad ingredients, which completely ruins the health benefits by adding unnecessary fats, carbs, sugar and sodium.

Recently, during a trip to WalMart I was in the tuna aisle and spotted the prettiest package of canned tuna. Ocean Naturals Skipjack Tuna definitely stood out from the rest of the tuna on the shelf, the packaging alone was so innovative and fresh, so I looked a bit further and saw this was a company with a conscience. Ocean Naturals is a new tuna brand with a fresh perspective. Ocean Naturals uses fewer and better ingredients than other brands, and the clearly label which species of tuna you are purchasing. In addition to that, their standards for catching the tuna are admirable! Here’s more from Ocean Naturals:

Responsibility:

We owe a debt of gratitude to the sea for all her beauty and bounty. The way we see it, our responsibility is to both educate and actively do our part to help sustain the resource for generations to come. It’s complicated, but nothing worth it is ever easy. Ocean Naturals starts by using only wild, responsibly caught fish. To us that means doing more than being dolphin safe. We strictly define what goes into each of our products by species so our light meat tuna isn’t a combination of mystery fish (some more endangered than others) but rather – 100% Skipjack. Plus we require that our Skipjack Tuna is 100% free–school caught without the use of FADs (Fish Aggregating Device) to help reduce the catch of non-targeted sea life.

With your Ocean Naturals tuna purchase, you can visit oceannaturals.com/my-tuna/ and enter the information from the can, it will tell you exactly where yours came from! Here’s what I learned about mine (I think this is way too cool!):

Your Skipjack Tuna was caught by:

Captain:: Louis Machado
Vessel:: Cape Cod
Vessel Flag:: United States
FAO Area:: FAO Area 71 (Pacific, Western Central)
Catch Method:: Purse Seine Free School (FAD Free)

Brand:: Ocean Naturals
Species:: Guaranteed 100% Skipjack Tuna
Item:: Skipjack Chunk Light Tuna in Water
Package:: 6oz Can
UPC:: 856007003052; Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)

One of several species labeled ‘light’ in the U.S., is considered by fisheries scientists to have healthy and abundant populations worldwide. Oceans Naturals skipjack is harvested in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, where the largest skipjack resources in the world are found. These fish are managed by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), and in many areas, the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), which institute conservation measures to help prevent overfishing from occurring.

Catch Method

Ocean Naturals skipjack is caught by purse seine vessels fishing on free-schools. In other words, without the aid of fish aggregating devices, or FADs. The use of FADs, especially in an uncontrolled way, can result in ecosystem impacts due to catching larger numbers of sensitive, unwanted, or non-target species (often called bycatch) than other methods.

Since this is a brand with a fresh approach to their product, I didn’t want to make the same old tuna sandwiches. I wanted something fresh and natural just like their tuna is. I decided to make little avocado bowls with fresh and healthy ingredients to compliment this tuna. No mayonnaise, cheese, or bread here! The end result is a low calorie and low carb dish with high nutritional content! Ocean Naturals gave tuna a facelift and this recipe is the result. Tasty, healthy, and beautiful!

Ingredients:

1 can Ocean Naturals Tuna, drained
3 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/3 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup black olives, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
3-4 large avocados
1 lime
1-2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Combine the tuna (fluff it a bit with your fork so it separates easily) with the Greek yogurt, chickpeas and tomatoes. Season with just a bit of salt and pepper.

Chop the onion and olives finely, either by hand or with a food processor.

Add olives and onion to bowl, also adding garlic.

Mix everything until well combined then cut avocados in half, removing the large seed. Scoop out a bit of avocado to make the “bowl” larger, mashing the excess avocado and add to the tuna filling.

Start filling up each avocado with tuna mixture. Top with cilantro and a few squeezes of lime juice.

Enjoy!

Enter to win Ocean Naturals tuna on Tuna Tuesdays at facebook.com/OceanNaturals, there’s six winners chosen every Tuesday! Good luck!

#Rubi2Go The Convenient Pick-Me-Up!

October 8, 2013 by MamaHarris 6 Comments

Often I do my grocery shopping in the morning. Sometimes it’s best to just get it out of the way so I have the rest of the day free to spend with my little ones, write recipes, or cook. I’ll wake the kids up, pack everyone in the car while they’re still calm and groggy and head off to the store. Often I’m still groggy too, and it just doesn’t make sense to stop at those expensive coffee shops when I’m the type that shops for the best deal with my groceries.

The first time I spotted a Rubi Kiosk at my favorite grocery store I was intrigued. They look similar to the movie rental or coin machine kiosks, yet they serve coffee. This is my kind of kiosk! I’ve already shared my love affair with coffee so there’s no need to get into that again. Not only do these kiosks serve up a convenient pick-me-up for folks like myself, dragging themselves to the grocery store straight out of bed, but you can get a delicious cup of Seattle’s Best Coffee for a fraction of the price of those fancy coffee shops!

The Rubi kiosks are located in a variety of stores nationwide. Click here to find out if they’re in your area. They’re typically found near the checkout registers or the entrances and exits, an ideal location for you to grab one and enjoy it while you shop.

There’s a variety of roasts and flavors to choose from, the non flavored cups start at just $1.00 for the smaller cup, with the flavored varieties only being fifty cents more. What a deal!

I posted a video of the purchase process. This is when the coffee beans are freshly ground as you wait! Most kiosks carry sweeteners, creamers and other customizable items. I love the interactive screen, when the little ones are with me at the store they enjoy watching the screen pictures to see what’s going on in the machine while we wait.

This particular morning RiRi was with me, we headed to the store to grab a few items before taking her to school. She’s already a coffee fan and we enjoy sharing the experience.

Cheers! Two pumpkin spices, we’re ready to shop!

Rubi kiosks offer 100% satisfaction guarantee, and there’s even a QR code you can scan from your phone to rate your experience!

I love that my particular store I went shopping at has cup holders in the basket. It just ties the entire experience together nicely. Now I can enjoy my cup of coffee while I grab my groceries!

That’s my kind of morning!

If you would like to try Rubi coffee kiosks in your area, see where you can find them in your area and then text BEAN2CUP to 727272 to receive a free cup today!

In addition to giving feedback witht he QR code, you can also follow along on Twitter to share you experience! You can also check out my Google+ album showing my first experience at Rubi kiosks!

Which flavor are you most likely to try out with your free code?

TWIX Cookie Cups Ingredients:

Butterscotch Filling Ingredients:

Peanut Butter Filling Ingredients:

Toasted Marshmallow Ingredients:

Cheesecake Filling Ingredients:

Directions:

Which filling would you want to try? Would you fill it with something else? And what fun ideas do you have planned for summer? Let me know in the comments below!

Responsibility:

Your Skipjack Tuna was caught by:

Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)

Catch Method

Which filling would you want to try? Would you fill it with something else? And what fun ideas do you have planned for summer?
Let me know in the comments below!