August 19, 2012

{Food Fun Hop} NatureBox Lemon Pistachio Cupcakes

Hello friends and welcome to the second installation of the Food Fun Hop, an event hosted by Shy Babies & Little Inspiration and Sponsored by NatureBox! These events will introduce you to fabulous finds that we get to use to create kitchen masterpieces, share our experiences, AND provide you with a chance to win your own supply!

NatureBox is a unique company that focuses on sourcing delicious, healthy snacks for consumers and sends them to you monthly. To test out and review, we were each sent a box of NatureBox snacks! Our box included: Lemon Pucker Pistachios, Southern BBQ Sunflower Kernels, Garden Tomato Crunchies, Sunny Trails and Zesta Fiesta Mix. We’re big fans of trail mix in this house, so everything was a hit! The snacks were fresh and tasty, and it’s always so great to know when you’re feeding your family foods that have no high fructose corn syrup, no partially hydrogenated oils, no trans fats, and no artificial sweetners, flavors or colors. If you’re looking for a simple and convenient way to start introducing healthier snacks to your family on a consistent basis, I definitely recommend NatureBox. I had to pry the package of Lemon Pucker Pistachios from my husband so that I could whip up a yummy Lemon Pistachio Cupcake recipe for all of you! They turned out fantastic! And here it is…

Lemon Pistachio Cupcakes
5.0 from 1 reviews

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Recipe type: Dessert
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 24
Cupcakes made with Lemon Pistachios
Ingredients
  • 1 package NatureBox Lemon Pucker Pistachios
  • 1 box of white cake mix
  • 2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant pistachio pudding
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 1¼ cup water
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ⅓ cup white sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place cupcake liners in cupcake pan.
  2. Grind Lemon Pucker Pistachios in a food processor or blender.
  3. Combine cake mix and its ingredients according to package directions.
  4. Add in pudding mix and combine well. Gently stir in ground pistachio nuts into batter.
  5. Fill cupcake liners about ⅔rd full with cupcake batter.
  6. Bake for approximately 18 minutes or until cupcakes are done.
  7. Let cupcakes cool completely.
  8. In a small bowl add cream and white sugar and beat until soft peaks form.
  9. Add remaining package of pistachio pudding and mix until incorporated.
  10. Frost cupcakes with pistachio cream mixture and store in the refrigerator until serving.

And here’s how ours turned out! I can still hear my kids asking for more…

Don’t they look mouth watering? They really are. And you can use any pistachios, but I really do like the hint of lemon that the NatureBox Lemon Pucker Pistachios contributed. Also there are a number of other bloggers in the #FoodFunHop group who came up with great recipes as well, make sure you “hop” around and take a look at what they’ve put together from the list below!

Nature Box was received in order to facilitate this review and giveaway, but all opinions are 100% my own.

linked up here, tatertots & jello, the 36th avenue, tip junkie, i {heart} naptime, frugal girls, home stories a to z

 

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August 19, 2012

{Food Fun Hop} NatureBox Giveaway

Welcome to the NatureBox Giveaway! NatureBox is a unique company that focuses on sourcing delicious, healthy snacks for consumers and sends them to you monthly. Below you can enter to win your very own NatureBox! You can read my review of NatureBox and grab my recipe for yummy Lemon Pistachio Cupcakes HERE. Please note, the winner will receive a different NatureBox than the one that I reviewed. Also, at this time NatureBox is unable to customize their product for specific dietary needs or personal preferences. Open to US Residents only. Event will last 2 weeks, ending on September 3rd.

Can’t wait to win a box and want to sign up now? Use promo code FOODFUN for 25% off your first month of subscription (please note that the 25% discount is only applicable to the month-to-month subscription. 6 month subscriptions receive 1 month free and 12 month subscriptions receive 3 months free)! Thanks to NatureBox for generously offering this amazing discount!

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

NatureBox was received in order to facilitate this review and giveaway, but all opinions are 100% my own.
Linked up at Tip Junkie.

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July 15, 2012

{Food Fun Hop} Newman’s Own Organics Apple Bread Pudding

Hello friends and welcome to the second installation of the Food Fun Hop, an event hosted by Shy Babies & Little Inspiration! These events will introduce you to fabulous finds that we (30+ bloggers) get to use to create kitchen masterpieces, share our experiences, AND provide you with a chance to win your own supply!

This event’s sponsor is Newman’s Own Organics. In our package from Newman’s, we received three bags of dried fruit and a package of Hermits, a deliciously soft, spiced cookie. Well we’re big fans of fruit in our house, but I have to say that dried fruit was a first! But each of the fruits we received tasted fantastic! I think our favorite to snack on, as is, was the berry blend. But I can imagine that they would taste amazing in muffins or any number of baked goods! And I really enjoyed the Hermits. I was surprised, too, that my kids loved them. Now there’s one cookie that I wouldn’t mind them snacking on here and there. We also received a bag of dried apples, and I knew instantly what I wanted to do with them: bread pudding.
Newman’s Own Organics Apple Bread Pudding
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Recipe type: Dessert
Author:
Ingredients
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 1 qt. milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 block butter
  • 1 stale baguette
  • 1 c. Newman’s Own Organic Apples
  • Cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Blend the eggs with the sugar, add 1 quart of milk and vanilla; stir well.
  2. Break the baguette into small pieces and add to mixture.
  3. Cut up dried apples into small pieces and add to the mixture.
  4. Soak (I allowed it to soak for about an hour).
  5. Pour into a baking dish and cover with 1 block of butter and sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg.
  6. Bake for 1 hour in a 350 degree oven.

And wow! Granted, I’m a big fan of sweets and bread, so any kind of bread pudding is a win in my book, but I really enjoyed this combination! But I hope that you pick up some Newman’s Own Organics dried fruit and give it a try! There are a number of other bloggers in the #FoodFunHop group who came up with great recipes as well, make sure you “hop” around and take a look at what they’ve put together from the list below!
 Newman’s Own Organics products were received in order to facilitate this review, but all opinions are 100% my own.

linked up here, tatertots & jello, the 36th avenue, tip junkie, i {heart} naptime, frugal girls, home stories a to z

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June 29, 2012

{Food Fun Hop} Wholly Guacamole Chicken Chilaquiles

Hello friends and welcome to the first installation of the Food Fun Hop, an event hosted by Shy Babies & Little Inspiration! These events will introduce you to fabulous finds that we (30+ bloggers) get to use to create kitchen masterpieces and share our thoughts and experiences!

Our first sponsor is Wholly Guacamole. Now I know that for many of the other bloggers participating in this fun event, this was the first time they have used Wholly Guacamole. Not this gal! Living in Arizona, I have to say that Mexican food is a family staple. But if you know me, you know I don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen so there are many areas where I look for quality products to supplement our meals. And Wholly Guacamole is certainly one of them. Their products are delicious, authentic and fresh, and are the perfect addition to tacos, enchiladas, or carne asada…which are commonplace in our household. And NOW they are coming out with a new line of products, Wholly Salsa, which is a selection of diverse and exciting salsas to appeal to a variety of tastes! Take a look at this Wholly Salsa package we received:

At this point we’ve tried most and have not been disappointed! And there’s something for everyone. Can’t handle the spicy? The Classic Mild is tasty and was a big hit with the kiddos. Like a little kick? The Classic Hot is just that, HOT! But when I came across the Avocado Verde, I was in Heaven. So tasty! So I used this salsa in the Guacamole Chicken Chilaquiles recipe that I’ll now share with you…

Wholly Guacamole Chicken Chilaquiles
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Recipe type: Entree
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • Wholly Guacamole Avocado Verde Salsa
  • Bag of Tortilla Chips
  • 3-4 Chicken Breasts
  • Can of Cream of Chicken Soup
  • Can of Diced Green Chilies
  • Bag of Mexican Style Cheese
  • Eggs
  • Wholly Guacamole (Opt. Garnish)
  • Sour Cream (Opt. Garnish)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cut chicken breast into small pieces and cook thoroughly in medium-high skillet.
  3. Mix Wholly Guacamole Avocado Verde Salsa, cream of chicken soup, and green chilies in small bowl.
  4. Once chicken is cooked thoroughly, add the Avocado Verde Salsa mixture to the pan and heat through.
  5. Line the bottom of a casserole dish with tortilla chips.
  6. Add a layer of cheese then cover with chicken and Avocado Verde Salsa mixture.
  7. Add another layer of cheese and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
  8. While chilaquiles are baking, cook eggs (1 per serving) per your taste (we prefer over easy, but know many who enjoy fried or scrambled).
  9. Remove pan from the oven and plate a serving of the chilaquiles.
  10. Add the egg on top of the chilaquiles and top with salsa, guacamole and/or sour cream as to your taste and preference!

We really enjoyed the meal, and hope you will too! And that’s not it. There are 30+ other bloggers who came up with fantastic recipes of their own! Check out the linky below, visit some other sites, and take notes on all the great meals you can make with Wholly Guacamole!

Wholly Salsa Products were received in order to facilitate this review and giveaway, but all opinions are 100% my own.

linked up here, tatertots & jello, the 36th avenue, tip junkie, i {heart} naptime, frugal girls, home stories a to z

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