Making Time for Family - Easy Breakfast Ideas

 This Pepperidge Farm and 100% Florida orange juice inspired family breakfast shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions and experiences are mine alone. #WarmUpYourDay #CollectiveBias

This past long weekend I was excited to have the kids home without anything on the schedule. Things are still quiet on the farm, currently a soggy cold mess in the fields, so I my husband was able to take some time to be with family, too. It was the perfect chance to surprise my hungry crew with a special family breakfast. 

Do you have family breakfast memories from your childhood?

Growing up it was usually Sunday morning and involved Blueberry pancakes, my favorite. My Mom loaded each pancake with frozen berries while my Dad played D.J. with records, eventually giving way to CDs as I got older. That is where I developed my love of the English band The Police, developed an appreciation for classic rock and the tradition of family breakfast.

Of course, a great breakfast not only requires getting everyone to sit down at the table together, but it also requires a delicious, but simple, menu. I love taking simple foods I know my family will love and putting a little twist on them.

Since I don't have a stash of frozen blueberries handy, I went with my kids' favorite, apples, to make delicious waffles. Have you tried making waffles out of sweet rolls yet? It couldn't be simpler! 

I used Pepperidge Farms Apple Cinnamon Sweet Rolls to make my waffles, but I knew I would need a lot more topping. My kids are all about the syrups or fruit compotes. I grabbed a couple of apples, spices and set to making a large batch of sweet apple topping.

Each roll of sweet rolls came with some apple filling and icing. I went ahead and added the packets of filling to my own topping after it had simmered down a little and thickened.

This was all I needed to get my family's attention. Having something simmering away on the stove is better than calling them down to breakfast any day.

While my filling was busy simmering away, I went to work on my plate of waffles, er, sweet rolls to turn into waffles.

All I did was take them out of the can and loosen the rolls a little. I wanted them to take up more room in the waffle iron.

I placed a loosened roll on my Belgian Waffle iron, closed the lid and turned it over, as usual. It didn't require special timing or instructions. If your waffle iron tends to stick, I might give it a little non-stick spray, but my waffle iron is  new and these cooked up without a mess or fuss.

These were so easy to make! They were a little smaller than the usual Belgian Waffle, but that left plenty of room for our other breakfast sides to fit on our plates.

I served our sweet roll waffles with a side of scrambled eggs and ham, a mixed fruit salad and simple orange juice sunrise.

My kids favorite juices are orange and cranberry, so this was a simple way to make a beautiful and delicious drink to go along with our special breakfast. I love getting 100% Florida Orange Juice, since my Mom lives there, it always reminds me of her. 

We don't often have juice with meals, but I always enjoy serving orange juice to make our family breakfast special. My kids loved the color and simple orange slice garnish.

Pepperidge Farms Apple Cinnamon Sweet Roll Waffles

You Will Need:

• 2 Cans of Pepperidge Farms Apple Cinnamon Sweet Rolls (8 servings, 4 rolls per can)

Heat up your waffle iron. Take all the sweet rolls out of the can and loosen up the rolls a little. Place them on a plate. When the waffle iron is ready, Place one loosened roll in the center, secure the top of the waffle iron and cook as usual. Remove and cover with a tea towel. Repeat for all the remaining sweet rolls. Serve with Apple Cinnamon Topping.

Apple Cinnamon Topping

You Will Need:

• 3 peeled and diced apples. (I selected a good baking apple)
• 1 c. water
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. corn starch, dissolved in a small amount of water

Place all the ingredients, but the corn starch in a small saucepan. Bring up to a simmer and cook on low for 8-10 minutes. When the apples are tender, add the corn starch slurry, mixing well. Let it come back up to a simmer and thicken. Turn off the heat and let it cool slightly before serving. 

Enjoy over Sweet Roll Waffles.

Orange Cranberry Sunrise

You Will Need:

• 100% Florida Orange Juice, I used Floridas Natural
• 100% Cranberry Juice
• ice
• orange slices, halved for garnish

Place a few ice cubes in a juice cup. Pour 2/3 full of orange juice, then pour cranberry juice to fill the remaining 1/3. Garnish with orange pieces.

We took time this past weekend for my favorite tradition - Family Breakfast. Check out how I made these simple Apple Cinnamon Sweet Roll Waffles, topping and sunrise juice. #WarmUpYourDay #ad #recipe #breakfast #collectivebias #flipagram ♫ Music: Family - Zach Gill & Jack Johnson made with @flipagram . See full video at flipagram.com/andrealkruse

A video posted by Andrea (@andrealkruse) on Jan 20, 2015 at 10:32am PST

I keep things low-key by letting everyone serve themselves for breakfast. The table was set and everything laid out. 

The first thing passed around were the waffles and apple cinnamon topping. Of, course! 

There was something for everyone. My toddler went straight for the waffles and fruit, my son and daughter started off with their orange juice.

I just enjoyed a chance to sit back and enjoy my family. The rest of the day was a total blur, but at least I was able to talk to all of them over breakfast. I think that is the magic of family breakfast time. It is a chance to be a family.

I grabbed everything for my easy family breakfast at Walmart. You can pick up an in-store coupon near the orange juice for for $1 off when you buy both 100% Florida OJ and Pepperidge Farm Sweet Rolls. 

For more recipe inspiration, follow Pepperidge Farm on Facebook.

Why not stock up for your next family breakfast?

Do you have a family breakfast tradition? What is your family's favorite breakfast?

5-Hour Energy - Yummification Winners Announced!

This post was sponsored by 5-hour ENERGY® with samples, a gift card, information about the "Yummification" video contest , and an additional gift pack provided by the makers of 5-hour ENERGY®. All opinions and experiences are mine alone.

Do you remember when I mixed up my own little Pineapple Coconut Splash in the name of 5-Hour Energy's Yummification contest?

Well, the winners have been announced and I wanted to share all the delicious and creative recipes that caught the eye of the judges!

First Place ($50,000 prize): “Pomelimelade” by Tim Merlau, Los Angeles, CA

This winning submission mixes a Pomegranate 5-hour ENERGY® shot with limeade, and then takes us on a musical journey through all that can be accomplished over several hours (spoiler alert:  it’s a lot). 

You have to check out their clever and unique video. I can see why he won, and I will have to try out this winning combination. I think it will make you want to have a "Pomelimelade" as well. 

Watch it here: http://vimeo.com/106595987

And the 2nd and 3rd place winners are:

       Second Place ($30,000 prize): “Ramalamadingdong” by Mark Golembeski, Los Angeles, CA

o   The second place video helps us turn that 2:30 feeling frown upside down by mixing a 5-hour ENERGY® shot with lemonade.  This video has it all: a clown, a puppy, a guy in a tutu, and much more. 

o   “Ramalamadingdong”

§  1 glass Lemonade

§  1 shot of Berry 5-hour ENERGY® 

·         Third Place ($10,000 prize): “Arnold Power” by Zac Sheorn, Lugoff, SC

o   The third place winner reminds us that you don’t have to be good at sports, but mixing a Pink Lemonade 5-hour ENERGY® shot with decaffeinated iced tea helps keep you refreshed while practicing.  And practicing. 

o   “Arnold Power”

§  1 glass Decaf Iced Tea

§  1 shot of Pink Lemonade 5-hour ENERGY® 

Check it all out on the 5-hour Energy site: 
 http://5hourenergy.com/yummification

Now, what do you plan to mix with your 5-hour ENERGY?

Star Wars Coaster Creations - Easy Wool Dyeing and Felting with Kool-Aid Beverages

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

There are two things that  left a big impression on my childhood... Kool-Aid drinks and Star Wars. What can I say? I was a child of the 80's. 

Of course I have grown up now, but I haven't outgrown my two favorites. Instead of sipping Kool-Aid out of tupperware cups and playing with my C-3PO action figure now, I plan to #KoolOff this Summer with the latest news and gossip about Star Wars episode 7 (Yay!)  with a cold drink perched on top of my own felted Star Wars coasters. 

Now I went and let my geeky side show, didn't I?

Kool-Aid dyeing has been on my craft bucket list for a while now, and felted coasters seemed like the easiest place to start. I love quick projects that can be done over a weekend. It gave me the chance to dye both wool felt and wool roving. The sugar-free powder doesn't require any added setting agents because of the citric acid. That is what gives the no sugar drink mix a sour taste.

I headed into my local Walmart to grab the supplies I would need. I had my sights set on the drink aisle and getting a dozen little packs for some color play. Just inside the door I was greeted by these signs for the new ready to drink 96 oz. bottles. Handy, don't you think?

 The perfect blend of nostalgia and fun all ready to go.

There are two things you need when dyeing with Kool-Aid:

• Natural Fibers (wool works really well, look for felt with a high wool content)
• Drink Mixes with no sugar added

I  grabbed an assortment of sugar-free mix packets. I grabbed several colors and flavors so I could experiment with mixing them for the perfect shades. I knew I would need green, orange, maroon and blue.

Dyeing is easy. Dye your wool felt or wool roving at least a day ahead of  when you plan to use it. This will allow ample time for your fiber to dry completely.

1. Assembly your materials. You will need drink packets, natural fibers, water, microwave safe containers and a microwave
2. Gently rinse your wool with warm water, be careful not to agitate it but make sure it is thoroughly wet. Any agitation will cause it to start felting. Fill your containers with just enough warm water to cover the fiber.
3. Whisk the drink mix and water, then submerge the warm wool in it. Cover with a paper towel and microwave for 2 minutes intervals for 6-8 minutes, or until the water becomes clear and all the dye has been soaked into your fiber.
4. Once cool enough to handle, rinse completely and spread the fiber out over mesh or a drying rack to dry completely.

For the base of the coasters I dyed 100% wool felt with a mixture of Mixed Berry and Tropical Punch mix. I sprinkled the top with just a pinch or two of Black Cherry and love how the color was deep but uneven.

Then I used a white fabric marking pen to create the outline for my design. Here you can see Boba Fett taking shape.

Then with a felting needle, or set of needles I added the wool roving a little at a time. It is a little like sculpting with wool. The hooks have small barbs at the end and every time I stab the wool it is pulled through the felt. A foam cushion is placed underneath to give the sharp felting needles a place to go.

Just a little gets pulled through the felt and that is what keeps the wool roving in place.

After a while the design starts to take shape. I think felting is a lot of fun and would suggest trying your hand at it. I love that it doesn't cost much to try.

Eventually I ended up with a set of 4 Star Wars inspired coasters. I added another layer of white felt to the bottom and attached them together with silver embroidery floss and the blanket stitch.  What do you think?

Check out more Kool-Aid fun with my recent posts for Kool-Aid Meringue Cookies and Kool-Aid Lip Gloss.

Come check out the fun. Jim Dillard, pro fisherman, could be coming to select Walmart locations to help promote the new 96oz bottles! There will be product giveaways, t-shirts, games, and more.

• Friday May 30th 5-7pm: 13675 Highway 43 Russellville, AL WM Supercenter
• Saturday May 31st 3-5pm: 3100 Hough Rd Florence, AL WM Supercenter
• Saturday May 31st 6-8pm: 517 Avalon Ave Muscle Shoals, AL WM Supercenter
• Friday June 20th 5-7pm: 1210 Mineral Wells Ave Paris, TN WM Supercenter
• Saturday June 21st 3-5pm: 1225 Paris Rd Murray, KY WM Supercenter
• Saturday June 21st 6-8pm: 809 N 12th St Murray, KY WM Supercenter
• Friday August 8th 5-7pm: 360 Harbison Blvd Columbia, SC WM Supercenter
• Saturday August 9th  3-5pm: 1326 Bush River Rd Columbia, SC WM Supercenter
• Saturday August 9th 6-8pm: 2401 Augusta Rd West Columbia, SC WM Supercenter

Have you ever crafted with Kool-Aid? What is your favorite flavor?

Getting our Community Playing - #OdwallaCFK

A few week's ago I told you about April's Champion's for Kids SIMPLE Service Project, the Odwalla "Game Day Challenge". I posted about "Our Family's Game Day Challenge - #OdwallaCFK" and am excited to give you an update on the project.


Older children may have organized sports and clubs they can join, but it is just as important for younger children to get out and get active. Hopefully being active and healthy at a young age will feed their interest for organized sports later on. I was looking for a group in our community that worked with children close to my kids' ages.  I decided on Head Start.  Check out our Google+ story of the trip.  I was amazed at all the great things a savvy Mom can find at Walmart to get kids active.

My children are ages 4 and 2. They love to run around outside and have fun!

So we selected items that were perfect for the target pre-school age of Head Start. On our shopping trip I let my children pick out items they would like to play with.

They chose:

• 2 Large bouncy balls
• 2 hula-hoops 
• Bubbles
• Sidewalk chalk
• Bat & Ball Set
• Extra Balls
• Tee Ball Tee
• Water Balloon Launcher & Water Balloons

 The Douglas County Head Start program, part of the non-profit UCAN, is a comprehensive pre-school program. It serves low income families and is provided at no cost for eligible families. The program helps get kids ready for school with a positive and respectful environment for everyone and entire family involvement.


The program takes place just down from where I grew up, my old neighborhood. Though I never attended Head Start I know people who have benefited from the program, both children and adults.

Our program is very active in the community and is visible at local parades and events. Students blossom with the help and preparation provided but there are many barriers for the students and health and nutrition are one.

This project was a lot of fun for my family. It gave us the chance to think about how to get other children in our community active and healthy. It was also the perfect opportunity to talk about these goals and values with my own children. We made a great collection of items perfect for inspiring fun and active habits in little kids.

I hope this will inspire others to give back to their community and join in the Champions for Kids program. You can learn more about how to get involved or read inspiring stories from others donating on Champions for Kids on Twitter and Facebook. Join in the conversation, start donating and help to make your community even better.

*Disclaimer - I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for  Collective Bias™.   #CBias #SocialFabric All opinions are my own.

We Love Our Juicy Smiles Thanks to Ocean Spray #CBias

We love our juice!

We don't usually have soda in the house and the kids don't drink it yet, anyway. For a treat, I like giving my children a nice cold glass of juice.

I am very picky about the juice brands that we drink. It is a daily treat, but I still check the nutrition label. I look for products using 100% Juice with no artificial sweeteners or high fructose corn syrup. My children cannot have some artificial sweeteners due to their metabolic condition. I want to trust a company with a good reputation and a great product that I want to drink myself.

Why juice? My kids love treats and sweets, but as a Mom I don't want to give into these demands. Juice makes them just as happy without me feeling guilty. I would say my little ones get as excited about their glass of juice as any sweet treat they are offered.

Very quickly Ocean Spray became my go-to brand for juice as a picky Mom.

I have to admit, I am a little partial since some of the Ocean Spray cranberries come from my home state of Oregon. Actually, Ocean Spray is a grower owned cooperative with more than 700 cranberry growers participating. It all makes the purchase that much sweeter for me.

Ocean Spray is also easy on my wallet. Our local Walmart carries them for less than the generic brand and with so many blends and juice options, there is something for everyone in my family. You can view our whole shopping experience in my Google + album.

While shopping for this #CBias post we all picked our own favorites, my husband chose the Ruby Grapefruit juice, I chose the Cranberry Pomegranate and my kids chose the Cranberry and Concord Grape juice.

As the weather turns warmer I will need to stock up on more Ocean Spray juices to use in our homemade Popsicles. Cold or frozen, juice always hits the spot.

You can find a complete list of Ocean Spray products on their website.
You can also stay up the latest product announcements, contests and activity on the Ocean Spray Facebook page.

*Disclaimer - This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions expressed are my own.