Sparkling Pomegranate Apple Drink

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PassTheTEN #CollectiveBias

With the holidays fast approaching that means two things, drinks & food and plenty of parties. To make your holidays even easier, here's a delicious drink recipe that is not only simple, but starts with a base of 7UP TEN®. As in, 10 calories! I grabbed the ingredients at Walmart and got to mixing.

To make a glass, start with lots of ice. 

Add in -1 cup of 7UP TEN®

-1/2 cup apple juice

-1/2 c. pomegranate simple syrup (or pomegranate juice)

Stir, garnish with pomegranate seeds or (blackberries) & drink up!

It's sparkling & full of festive taste without all the guilt of other holiday drinks. To make a "grown-up" version, just mix in your choice of vodka and enjoy your holiday party! Be sure to vote for your favorite TEN™ recipe and check out these awesome mocktail recipes! We would love to hear your favorite way to enjoy TEN™ soda varieties during the holidays. #PassTheTEN Sweepstakes Use this coupon for Save $1 on TWO (2) 2-Liter bottles of 7UP TEN®, A&W TEN®, Canada Dry TEN®, RC TEN®, Squirt TEN™, or Sunkist® TEN™.

#PassTheTEN Sweepstakes

Peanut Butter Waffles with Chocolate Glaze

I mean....yum. They're super easy and kind of healthy? Not really, but let's just think they are, okay?  

Start with a basic waffle mix. I went REALLY easy and just used Kodiak Waffle mix (1 cup mix & 1 cup water) To your waffle mix add:

2 Tablespoons powder peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

and a tiny bit of stevia extract or sweetener if you so desire.

Make a basic chocolate glaze with powdered sugar, cocoa and heavy cream. 

Dip waffles in glaze while still slightly warm.  BOOM. What's better than peanut butter and chocolate? Peanut butter and chocolate for breakfast.

Current Favorite Healthy Snacks

Living in Arizona we're either inside in the air conditioning, or in the pool. So when I'm stuck inside it's easy for the snack monster to attack.  You know....the monster that comes and makes you eat half a bag of chips, a handful of peanut M&M's, and your child's animal cookies. Just me?? Well....I'm trying to be more conscious about any snacking or treats I eat....really just food in general.  So here are my top 5 Recipes for healthy(er) snacking.

3-Ingredient Ice Cream from Proper

Flourless Muffins from AverieCooks

Almond Joy Bars from Inside BruCrew Life

Mint Chocolate Protein Shake via Tied Ribbon

"Cookie Dough" Greek Yogurt by Girl Gone Country

-Sarah Melcher Fitness & Health Contributor

Mint Chocolate Chip Protein Shake

Here's a fun festive twist on the original protein shake!

Ingredients:  

1-2 Tablespoons Powdered Peanut Butter (or regular peanut butter)

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

1 & 1/2 sliced & frozen bananas

enough Dark Chocolate Almond Milk to make smooth

1-2 Teaspoon Mint extract

Add ingredients in blender and gradually add Almond Milk to desired shake thickness. Enjoy!

2 Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

 (Almost) every year I'm in charge of one of the two...or sometimes both of the two things for Thanksgiving. Sweet Potatoes & made-from-scratch rolls. And every year they never disappoint the crowd.  Super last minute I decided to share them, in case you're need of a new amazing recipe for either. I hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving where ever you are and who ever you are with and give thanks for the blessings in your life! Happy Thanksgiving!

Sweet Potatoes

• 11/2 lb. sweet potatoes (pealed, boiled, drained & mashed)
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbls. melted butter

Topping:

• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. In mixing bowl beat eggs, then add milk, sugar, vanilla, and butter. Mix thoroughly. Add egg mixture to sweet potatoes and mix thoroughly. Place sweet potato mixture in 2 quart casserole that has been coated with nonstick spray. Set aside. 
Place pecans, flour, cinnamon, and brown sugar in bowl. Mix. Drizzle melted butter over mixture and stir until crumbly. Spread topping evenly over sweet potatoes. Bake for about 30 minutes.

The best ever rolls I've ever made...or will ever make are from Chef in Training

 

INGREDIENTS

Mixture 1

• ½ cup Warm Water
• 4 packages yeast
• 1 teaspoon Sugar

Mixture 2

• 3 cups milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter

Remaining ingredients

• 4 eggs, beaten
• 7-9 cups flour

1. Stir to combine Mixture 1.  Let it sit until yeast is activated and happy.
2. Meanwhile, heat Mixture 2 over medium heat until melted.  Let it cool until just warm.
3. In Bosch or other bread dough mixer add beaten eggs, Mixture 2 and 4-5 additional cups of flour. You want the consistency at this point to be a pancake consistency. Once pancake consistency is reached, add Mixture 1. Mix in well and then add additional flour cup by cup until bread dough consistency is reached.
4. Let dough rise for 1 hour.  After an hour, punch down and let sit for an additional 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, punch down again.
5. Divide dough in half. Roll into a flat circle about 10-12 inches in diameter (like a pizza).
6. Brush the top with butter.
7. Cut like a pizza into 8 slices.
8. Roll each section into a croissant, starting with the thickest part and rolling inward to the thinest point.
9. Place close together on a greased cookie sheet.
10. Repeat for other half of the dough.
11. Cover dough on cookie sheets and let rise until double in size.
12. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 15 minutes.
13. Remove from oven and brush with butter.

Fanta Orange Creamsicle Punch

I was compensated for this post from Fanta/Dasani through #CollectiveBias. All idea, photos and opinions are 100% my own.

Today I'm sharing a fun and easy recipe for Spooky Orange Creamsicle Punch using Fanta Orange. Swing by your local Wal-Mart to grab all these ingredients (& even a fun new drink dispenser) to make this delicious drink for your next Halloween Bash! I also grabbed some Dasani water for those who are dairy & soda-free! Adding fun straws makes it more fun anyway.

Also, there will be an in-store demo at select Walmart locations October 24-26th featuring Fanta, as well as Wheat Thins and Halloween Oreos for you to see even more fun festive ideas!

 Ingredients:

-2 2-liter bottle of Orange Fanta Soda

-Vanilla Ice Cream

-Whipped Cream

Start by adding your first liter of Fanta into your bowl or drink dispenser.

Add in 3-5 large scoops of ice cream according to how cream-sicly you want it! Give it a quick stir.

Then add in the 2nd bottle of Fanta.

To finish it off, add a few scoops of whipped cream to the top. 

(Use a cookie dough scoop for easy serving!)

Yum! A delicious and festive drink that children and adults will all enjoy!

Follow Fanta & Dasani on social media for more fun #SpookySnacks for your Halloween festivites!

https://facebook.com/fanta

https://twitter.com/fantafun

https://facebook.com/Dasani

https://twitter.com/dasaniwater

Captain America Superhero Party with M&M's

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias

I am SO thrilled to share this party I threw!  This party featured Captain America, M&Ms and inspired kids & adults to "Be Your Own Superhero" because #HeroesEatMMs.

I went to Walmart & got the most important party prop....M&M's. I got a Large bag of regular M&M's and a bag of the MEGA Peanut M&M's. (Pst: get a coupon for your M&M's here!) Then I grabbed the rest of my supplies some of which included cake mix & frosting, soda, juice, party cups, mini pies, napkins, popcorn, straws.

I put the MEGA Peanut M&M's in clear baggies (from the party section) and topped them with striped paper I folded over, stapled and wrote "Be Your Own Superhero" on the top.

The cake may be my favorite part & mimics Captain America's shield.  I outlined the shape of the star with blue M&M's and filled in the rest of the top with red ones. Then eye-balled a line 2 M&M's wide around the cake.

This snack mix is so easy to whip up for your party! Here's the recipe:

-1/2 C. milk chocolate M&M's
-1 bag popped popcorn (kernels removed)
-1 C. pretzels
-1/4 C. peanuts (optional)
-1/2 bag melted white chocolate chips
Directions:
Pour melted chocolate over all ingredients, mix until evenly coated. Spread in even layer on cookie sheet and let cool. Break into pieces and serve.

The mini pies were purchased at Walmart in the bakery section. Tied up with a napkin and fork and topped with a toothpick paper flag with the flavor written on it.

We had a fun activity for the kids to do while the adults socialized. I printed out blank mask templates onto card stock and set up a kid table with crayons and markers for them to decorate their very own superhero mask. It was a hit!

The kids loved all the treats- especially their very own bag of huge M&M's!

Everyone loved enjoying their M&M's while feeling fueled to be their own superhero like Captain America! You can have some superhero fun too! Head to HeroesEatMMs.com to discover the superhero in you!