Boston Cream Pie Fruit Salad

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Yoplait®. The opinions, experiences and text are all mine.

Whether I want to fix a quick snack or make an easy side to add to dinner, this Boston Cream Pie Fruit Salad is always a great choice! Using Yoplait Greek 100 Calories Boston Cream Pie yogurt is my secret for rich flavor and fast prep time.

Do you have a favorite Yoplait flavor?

This Boston Cream Pie is one of my favorites, and it contains just 100 calories. I am pretty sure the original custard can't claim that! I picked up my Yoplait yogurt at Walmart where you can find this flavor, plus a wide selection of other delicious options for Yoplait Original, Light, Greek, and Gogurt®.

Of course, when my family gets hungry they often ask for chips, cookies or other snacks. I try to keep it as fresh and simple as possible. Have you noticed how fast kid will tear through a bag of chips? Okay, when I make 'bagged' snack choices, I tend to mindlessly munch my way through the bag, too. This summer I am trying to make a conscious decision towards more wholesome snack choices for myself as well as the rest of my family.

During the summer, I don't have time to spend on complicated recipes. No, we like things as simple and fresh as we can make it. There is always fresh fruit in the fridge and my kids love to have their fruit tossed in it. I also add in some chopped nuts for more crunch and we are good to go!

Boston Cream Pie Fruit Salad

You will need:

• 1 - 5.3 oz. Yoplait Greek 100 Calories Boston Cream Pie
• 1 small apple, diced
• squeeze of fresh lemon
• 1/3 c. red grapes
• 1/3 c. cantaloupe, diced
• 1/3 c. blueberries
• 1/3 c. hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Toss the diced apple in a squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice to prevent browning. Put all the ingredients in a medium bowl and toss with yogurt. Serve immediately or chilled.

Enjoy!

Be sure to keep an eye out for in-store demos for Yoplait in select Walmart stores the weekend of July 10. If you get a chance to attend, I would love to hear all about it!

What ideas do you have for wholesome snacking this summer with Yoplait?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Yoplait®. The opinions and text are all mine.

A Whole New, Whole Grain Option - Honey Bunches of Oats Breakfast Biscuits

The following is a sponsored post on behalf of Honey Bunches of Oats Breakfast Biscuits. Opinions and experiences  expressed are my own.

It seems like keeping my family fed takes up a majority of my day. Once my alarm goes off, I am headed downstairs to make sure everyone has breakfast, milk, juice... or coffee. Then by the time I get everything put away and everyone is reasonably happy, it is time to do it all over again for a snack... then lunch... an after school snack and finally dinner.

Don't even get me started about when the kids whine about being hungry right before bed.

Some days though I just don't have time to serve up a complicated meal. I need something to make my day a little easier. It also has to be something that everyone loves. Bars or biscuits are a great way to fill this need.

Confined to a bowl no longer, Honey Bunches of Oats is now making Breakfast Biscuits! There are three flavors; Honey Roasted, Strawberry and Chocolate Chip. I know we all love snacking on the cereal, but these bars are even handier for packing and snacking.

Made with 100% whole grain, each pouch of 4 biscuits can provide lasting energy for the day ahead, a little energy boost when you need a snack. They are not too hard, but they are also not as flaky as a granola bar. My kids tend to make a giant mess out of anything flaky, but these pass the crumb test.

My favorite is by far the chocolate chip. Not too sweet or messy, it just has enough dark chocolate flavor to satisfy my sweet tooth. If I'm not careful, Elliott has learned how to steal a biscuit or two out of my pouch when I'm not looking. Since I like them, he knows they have to be pretty good.

He also highly recommends dunking them in yogurt, by the way.

And if my day isn't busy enough, my poor husband usually leaves the house without breakfast. At least a pouch of Honey Bunches of Oats Breakfast Biscuits are portable enough to take over to the greenhouses.

Though we have enjoyed all 3 flavors, I like the variety they offer by keeping all three handy in my pantry. I also stashed an extra in my purse and packed a few away in my diaper bag. I just never know when someone is going to complain about being hungry.

And some days, that is probably going to be me!

For nutritional information and store locator, check out the Honey Bunches of Oats site.

Have you tried the Honey Bunches of Oats Breakfast Biscuits yet? If not, what flavor would you like to try?

Vanilla Bean Granola with DOVE® Fruit Cranberries

 This DOVE® Fruit inspired recipe shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LoveDoveFruits #CollectiveBias

My husband is not a huge breakfast eater. Well, I take that back... he usually finds something to eat along the way. Every morning he lingers in our kitchen long enough to fill up his travel mug with coffee and then he is out the door for a long day on the farm.

Without fail every week I still ask him if he wants anything for breakfasts. Occasionally he will request granola. 

Now, since he rarely requests anything on our weekly shopping trips, I am inclined to say yes. But, do you know how easy it is to make your own granola? Do you know how good it tastes when you find your own perfect combination?

Of course, it wouldn't be perfect without DOVE®, would it?

I love my granola with nuts, a variety of nuts. Pecans and almonds are my first choices. They are just so good lightly toasted. Then I like to add pumpkin seeds and I even threw in some chia seeds for good measure.

But what I really enjoy in my granola is dried fruit.

So when I saw the DOVE® Fruit in my local Walmart, the wheels started turning in my mind. What if I combined the fruit I love with the dark chocolate my husband and I both enjoy into our homemade granola?

Magic! Pure magic, I'm telling you.

If you haven't noticed one of these displays in your local Walmart, keep an eye out and grab a few bags of DOVE® Fruit. They are available in cranberry, cherry and blueberry. I picked up a bag of each for my own snacking enjoyment.

You can download a coupon to save on your next DOVE® Fruit pouch purchase. Now, isn't that sweet?

But, I was also really excited to throw some in my homemade granola. It had excellent breakfast, dessert and snacking possibilities!

Here is my cast of characters for granola, now you can put more in or less, but don't forget the easy vanilla bean paste so you don't have to sit and scrape vanilla bean pods.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. The DOVE® Fruit cranberries will go in last. We wouldn't want to mess up that beautiful dark chocolate coating.

Then combine all the wet ingredients, except the vanilla bean paste in a small saucepan. Bring it up to a simmer then turn off the heat. Stir in the vanilla bean paste and the salt. Pour over the oats and nuts and mix to coat evenly.

Then spread out the wet granola mixture on an old baking dish. 

Why old? Well, it can stick a little. If you are extra clever you could line your baking tray with a non-stick mat or parchment paper. But, that is why I keep this trusty, well-used baking tray.

Vanilla Bean Granola with DOVE® Fruit Chocolate Cranberries

You Will Need:

• 4 c. old fashioned oats
• 1/2 c. raw almonds, roughly chopped
• 1/2 c. raw pecans, roughly chopped
• 1/4 c. raw pumpkin seeds
• 2 Tbsp. chia seeds
• 1/2 c. coconut oil
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/4 c. honey
• 2 tsp. vanilla bean past
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• DOVE® Fruit Cranberries

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts and seeds. 

In a small saucepan whisk together the coconut oil, brown sugar, water and honey over medium heat. Bring it up to a simmer and then take off the heat. Whisk in the vanilla bean paste and salt and pour over the dry mixture.

Spread onto a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes, then stir and bake for another 12 minutes or until the nuts and oats are lightly toasted.

Let cool. Then brake up any granola chunks. Toss in as many DOVE® Fruit cranberries (as your heart desires) and store in a air tight container.

So, how do I like my granola? In the morning it is great mixed into my favorite yogurt or just with some milk. I also love to snack on it in the afternoon. For an added treat, spoon some granola over your favorite frozen yogurt or ice cream.

Yum! 

For more great ideas for enjoying Dove, check out the DOVE® Fruit social hub.


Now, how would you enjoy DOVE® Fruit?

Alexia Foods for a Homegating Slam Dunk

 This homegating inspired french fry and onion ring recipe shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GameTimeGrub #CollectiveBias

Growing up I fondly remember big game days. Those were the only occasions when I was able to pick out my own snacks, drinks and treats to enjoy as we all huddled around the TV at home. It was a chance to for Mom to enjoy the game too, and not be stuck cooking in the kitchen. We stuck with items that were self-serve or of the microwavable heat-and-eat variety. The only rule for our game food was that it had to be fast and easy.

Now, as a kid, my game day food desires consisted mainly of various chips and creamy dips, but now that I am in charge of the family spread, I wanted to bring a variety of game-day-worthy snacks to the table that we could all enjoy. And well, now I am old enough to work the oven, so my options are a little better.

You know what my family enjoys?

Fries and onion rings!

But, we are not talking your average fries and onion rings here. I wanted something delicious and gourmet inspired to really make our family game day eats memorable.

Alexia Frozen Fries and Rings were the perfect start for some great new game day recipes! Since we already love grabbing a bag of Alexia Sweet Potato Fries, Smart Classics Crinkle Cut Fries or Crispy Onion Rings to round out a lunch or dinner, I wanted to make them extra special by creating 3 new recipes for a taste bud slam dunk.

First I wanted to make a big platter of Disco Fries for my hungry sports fans.

Have you ever had Disco Fries? My Canadian friends are always talking about Poutine, which is made with white cheddar cheese curds, thick brown gravy and fries. But, for a more American version I went with readily available torn mozzarella, brown gravy with a little green onions on top of a bed of Smart Classics Crinkle Cut Fries.

It still has the warm and hearty flavor of my Northern friends' favorite, but with our own delicious melted mozzarella.

First you start by making the brown gravy. I sauteed garlic and onions in a cast iron skillet with a little unsalted butter.

Then I added the beef stock, a little apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Once it came up to a simmer, I strained out the onions and added in a cornstarch slurry to tighten it up a little. You still want a pourable consistency to drizzle over those crispy fries.

After baking the Smart Classics Crinkle Cut Fries, I topped then with torn mozzarella and poured the thickened brown gravy over the top to slightly melt the cheese. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve with a side of remaining brown gravy for dipping.

Disco Fries

You Will Need:

• 1 bag, Alexia Smart Classics Crinkle Cut Fries
• 1/4 c. yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 c. beef stock
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 tsp. water, or enough to create a smooth slurry
• 1 c. Mozzarella cheese, torn
• 1/4 c. sliced green onions

Bake the Alexia Smart Classics Crinkle Cut Fries as directed on the package.

While the fries are baking, place the onion, garlic and butter in a small sauce pan and sautee till translucent.

In a separate pan, heat up the beef stock, apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. When the onions are ready, add them to the pan and bring up to a simmer. Let simmer for 3 minutes, then strain out the pieces of onion or garlic. Whisk in the corn starch and heat till the gravy thickens.

Place crispy fries in a dish. Top with torn Mozzarella and drizzle with half the brown gravy. Garnish with green onions and serve with the remaining gravy in a bowl for dipping.

Then I created Nori and Sea Salt Onion Rings for my family. I have to admit that I am a huge fan of sweet onion rings. The only way I could think to improve on these classic treats was to toss my favorite Alexia Crispy Onion Rings in toasted nori and sea salt.

I was introduced to a similar style of snack while I was living in Japan. I also happen to be a big fan of the toasted nori sheets for snacking. It is a great addition to the sweet onions and makes them great to enjoy on their own, or then dipped into a bowl of cool ranch dip.

Toasted Nori and Sea Salt Tossed Onion Rings

You Will Need:

• Alexia Crispy Onion Rings
• Toasted Nori Sheets, crumbled
• Sea Salt

Bake the Alexia Crispy Onion Rings as directed on the package.

While still warm from the oven, toss the rings in a bag with crumbled nori flakes and shake until coated. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve immediately to your hungry crowd!

Then as an added treat, I threw in an extra dish on the spicy side. These Buffalo Fries were made with Alexia Sweet Potato Fries with Sea Salt.

I tossed the baked fries in a little Buffalo Sauce then threw them back under the broiler to crisp back up.

Then I topped the spicy fries with crumbled Blue Cheese chunks and cool Blue Cheese dressing. I garnished this dish with a little green onion and served some crunchy celery sticks on the side.

Spicy Buffalo Fries

You Will Need:

• 1 bag Alexia Sweet Potato Fries with Sea Salt
• 2 Tbsp. Buffalo Sauce
• 1/4 c. crumbled Blue Cheese
• 2-3 Tbsp. Blue Cheese dressing
• 1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
• green onions, thinly sliced
• celery sticks, for serving

Bake the Alexia Sweet Potato Fries with Sea Salt as directed on the package.

Toss the hot fries with up to 2 Tbsp. Buffalo Sauce to lightly coat. Put under the broiler for another 3-5 minutes to crisp the fries back up.

Place the fries in a bowl, sprinkle with Blue Cheese crumbles, drizzle with Blue Cheese dressing and garnish with green onions. Serve alongside celery sticks for added fun! 

We grabbed all our supplies and bags of Alexia Foods Frozen Fries and Rings at our local Walmart. Look for them in the frozen section with Potatoes. I am always a fan of one stop shopping for our game day homegating parties

Now I have 3 new recipes to pull out during game time. But really the possibilities are endless with dips and tasty topping for fries and rings. Be sure to check out the Alexia Foods Pinterest board for even more great recipe inspiration.

Ready to get your game on? Which recipe do you want to share with your family?

Savory Rosemary Italian Herb Nut Mix

This delicious Rosemary Italian Herb Nut Mix recipe has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and Quaker. It is a great nut mix to make and take as you travel this holiday season. All opinions and experiences are mine alone. #CollectiveBias #LoveMyCereal #QuakerUp

Usually we hang close to home around the holidays. My husband's extensive extended family lives close by, so we dash from meals and celebrations to back home multiple times during the holiday season. But none of those trips are very long.

This year though we have a special surprise for the kids. We are packing up the kids and heading up to the city to catch the Polar Express. They are going to be so surprised! 

All this travel and excitement is bound to make my family hungry. Now, I know there will be plenty of places to stop and grab a snack along the way, expensive and slightly boring, but I would rather pack something tasty and homemade along with us for our holiday outing. 

Did you go on road trips as a kid? 

Every year my family would take a car trip from Oregon to Utah. It was a long and boring trip for an only child, but I knew my Mom always packed the best snacks to enjoy along the way. Some of my favorite things to munch on were cereal, trail mixes and frozen grapes!

That is where the inspiration for this Savory Rosemary Italian Herb Nut Mix came from. I wanted to combine two things I knew my family would love, cereal and toasted nuts. Of course I had to add my own little spin... fresh rosemary from my garden along with a simple Italian Seasoning Mix, oil and a little roasting.

Nut mixes are so good and easy to make. A custom savory mix like this would cost a lot more in the store and wouldn't include my childhood favorite, Quaker® Life cereal. 

Savory Rosemary Italian Herb Nut Mix

You Will Need:

• 1 c. Quaker® Life cereal
• 4 c. assorted raw nuts. I used pecans, almonds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds
• 1 c. pretzel sticks
• 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 3 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together the Quaker Life cereal, nuts and pretzels. Toss with oil, salt and seasonings. Make sure all the nuts get coated evenly. 

Spread the nut mixture on a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes and watching the nuts closely that they don't burn. 

Remove from the oven and let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Enjoy! 

I grabbed all my nuts, seasoning and cereal I used for this recipe at my local Walmart. There is a whole selection of Quaker® cereals, like Quaker® Real Medleys®, Quaker® Oatmeal Squares, Quaker® Simply Granola, and Quaker® Life.

Since I shared my favorite snack using Quaker® cereal, I would love to hear how your family adds Quaker® to your day? 

Cocoa Almond Caramel Corn

This sweet holiday Planter's shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions and experiences are mine alone. #GoNutsForNuts #CollectiveBias

This is a great month to break out some new snack recipes, don't you think?

December is a busy month and with Christmas tree hunting and our Polar Express trip coming up, I have been trying to make some crunchy, sweet, and salty treats to keep the cries of,  "I'm hungry!" from the back seat, to a minimum.

I love to snack on my favorite nuts when I am hungry because they help me feel full longer. So when I saw all the Planter's holiday products out on display at my local Walmart, I knew I wanted to pick some up to incorporate into our snacks.

Keep an eye out for your store's sleigh display, or you might find the Planter's holiday assortments on an end-cap like this. I grabbed both the Winter Spiced Mix (sweet and salty) as well as the Cocoa Almonds (not overly sweet).

Now, I am tempted to throw the Winter Spiced Mix into a simple trail mix with dried fruit and cereal, but it is also great to snack just as is. 

The Planter's Cocoa Almonds though, I had big plans for that box.

I kept thinking how perfect these Cocoa Almonds would be in a caramel corn mix. I still have fond memories of my Mom with baking trays covering our washer and dryer filled with cooling caramel corn. The house would smell amazing! And she made enough that we had homemade caramel corn till Christams. I was really inspired to fill my home with the smells of my childhood.

 I started out by grabbing the air popper and making a big bowl of popcorn.

This recipe only calls for a 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels but I popped twice as much to stave off the hungry kiddos. It is hard to keep popcorn popping a secret, and the sound brings the whole family to the kitchen with bowls in hand.

Luckily I was able to save one big bowl of popcorn. That is plenty to use for this recipe.

Then I tossed a whole package of Planter's Cocoa Almonds on top. They really are the star here and it was hard not to eat too many as I was working on this.  And if you are thinking that my bowl is overflowing, well, yes it was. I ended up needing a second big mixing bowl. Give yourself enough space to mix properly.

This was my first time trying the Cocoa Almonds and I love them. A hint of cocoa, but not overly sweet. They were perfect for this mix.

Then it is time to get started on the caramel. Put the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Stir till the sugar is dissolved and then let it come to temperature undisturbed.

It will be a hot, bubbly mess. No worries.

Turn off the heat and stir in the baking soda and salt. Then pour over your bowl of popcorn and almonds. Transfer the hot contents to parchment lined baking sheets and spread (as best you can) out to a single layer.

Bake for about 50 minutes then let the mixture cool. Break large chunks apart and drizzle with dark chocolate. I find a simple zip-topped bag with one corner snipped works well for this. Just clip a very tiny hole for a thin stream of chocolate to drizzle. 

I heated my dark chocolate discs in the microwave on half power and stirred well. This recipe doesn't need much chocolate.  Just a little bit goes a long way.

The chocolate will set up quickly, but if your kitchen is warm you can pop the baking sheet in the freezer for a few minutes before packaging up your caramel corn. Cellophane treat bags would be nice if you choose to gift your caramel corn.

I put mine in a pretty glass cup and served it up right away. The truth is, I will probably need to make another batch before we leave on our trips. This batch, both cookies sheets, is almost gone already. It was a huge hit with my husband.

Cocoa Almond Caramel Corn

You Will Need:

• 1/2 c. popcorn kernels
• 1- 14oz. box of Planter's Cocoa Almonds
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/3 c. light corn syrup
• 1 1/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• dark chocolate for drizzling

Pop the popcorn and add the Cocoa Almonds on top. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

In a medium saucepan combine the butter, corn syrup and brown sugar over medium heat. Stir till the sugar is dissolved then raise the heat to medium high and let come to a boil. Do not stir and remove from the heat when a candy thermometer reads 248 degrees.

Working quickly, stir in the salt and baking soda into the caramel sauce. Then immediately pour over the popcorn and almond mixture. With a rubber spatula, toss gently to coat and then spread out on the baking sheets in a single layer.

Bake for 50 minutes, stirring halfway through the baking time. Remove from the oven and cool. 

Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl at half power for 30 seconds at a time. Stir well then reheat as necessary. Pour into a zip-topped bag and snip a very small hole in the end. Drizzle over the popcorn mixture.

Refrigerate the trays or wait till the chocolate sets up before breaking the caramel corn into smaller pieces. Store in an airtight container and enjoy!

Now, the fun doesn't stop with this recipe. Oh, no. If you want to #GoNutsForNuts with us, check out the Blippar app, it's FREE for smartphones and can "unlock" some added fun this season... It is a great way to interact with brands through augmented reality features. Yeah, you might have heard me talk about how much I enjoy it when brands use AR in-store or on the package. 

You can use the Blippar app with your Planter's seasonal nut products to take a selfie with Mr. Peanut, browse recipes and check out holiday gift tips from Planter's.

If you like to post holiday pics of your family around the holidays to Facebook or Instagram, like I do, you will enjoy grabbing this Mr. Peanut frame through the app.

Looking for more holiday recipe inspiration? Check out the Cooking Up Good website. There you will find recipes, sweepstakes, loyalty programs, coupons and more! This site will have you Cooking Up Good any day of the week with your favorite Kraft products. Be sure to check it out.

So which Planter's assortments will you be stocking up on this season? Keep an eye out for the Holiday Nut Crunch, Cocoa Almonds, Brittle Nut Medley, Winter Spiced Mix and Holiday Collection Tins at your local Walmart.

What is your family's favorite holiday snack?