Tag Archives: Food

Macaroons are all the rage right now and unfortunately, I have yet to even have one. I almost bought some at Epcot during our last trip, but I think I was sidetracked by another treat and never ended up getting one.

Well, today is National Peanut Day, so let’s celebrate with a yummy recipe from Hormel for Chocolate Peanut Butter Macaroons!

Serving Size: 8+

Total Time: More than 1 hour

Preparation Time: 1 Hour

Preparation Method: Bake

Meal Occasion: Desserts & Baking

Level of Difficulty: Beginner

 

Ingredients for 12 Servings:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup ground almonds

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 egg whites

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup whipping cream

3 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup SKIPPY® Creamy Natural Dark Chocolate Spread

 

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 300°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit piping bag with plain 1/2-inch tip.
2. In food processor bowl, combine powdered sugar, almonds and cocoa; process until finely ground.
3. In bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating after each addition; beat until sugar is dissolved and mixture forms stiff peaks. Gradually fold in almond mixture. Spoon mixture into piping bag.
4. Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds 2 inches apart on baking sheets; smooth tops. Bake 20 minutes or until set. Turn oven off; cool in oven.
5. To make chocolate-peanut butter filling, in small saucepan, heat cream until bubbles form around edge; remove from heat. Add chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in peanut butter spread. Transfer to small bowl; cover. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until thickened.
6. Spread heaping tablespoon filling on each of half of macaroons. Sandwich together using remaining macaroons.

 

Original recipe from Hormel.

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This post was part of my involvement in the Hormel Family Blogger Program. Thanks for reading!

 

 

I’ve always been a fan of smoothies, but I’ve always kept them pretty simple…usually just a fruit or two, milk and ice. Tasty and fairly healthy, but definitely lacking that oomph to really make it a health food, like extra protein or supplements. Especially now that I’m no longer pregnant, but still breastfeeding and trying to lose the weight, I will be looking for ways to get the most nutrients and health benefits from my foods.

I was recently introduced to Coromega during one of my Green Scene Mom Giveaway events, and they offered to send me some products to try and then share them with you all.

Coromega offers various products with the most effective and advanced delivery form of Omega-3 supplement, and make it into incredibly tasty, natural flavors with no fishy taste, aftertaste or fishy burps!

Omega-3s and what they mean for your heart, mind and body.

Today, nutritional science is validating more and more healthful benefits that Omega-3 can have on the heart, mind and body. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are primarily found in fresh, cold-water fish such as mackerel, salmon and sardines. Your body can’t naturally produce Omega-3, so you must get these fatty acids from your diet.

Two key fatty acids in Omega-3 are known as EPA and DHA in their long-chain forms, and today several thousand of clinical and scientific studies show that together these Omega-3 essential fatty acids support:

• Heart Health
• Brain and Eye Health
• Skin and Hair Health
• Healthy triglyceride levels
• Joint health and mobility
• Mental clarity and balance
• Healthy nutrition for children over 4

 

I’ve taken fish oil pills in the past and have definitely experienced that fishy aftertaste. Yuck.

As soon as I opened the packages I received, I was surprised to find a nice citrusy smell with one and a coconut smell with the other. No fishy smell whatsoever.

While they do say you can take these straight up, I opted for the fun alternative and decided to mix my serving into a delicious strawberry banana smoothie!

I kept it fairly simple, as usual, but adding the Coromega 3 guaranteed that I was getting extra health benefits. The light coconut taste of the be bright non-gmo superfood contributed to the smoothie without overwhelming it and there was no fishy aftertaste…much better than taking pills!

I used some frozen strawberries and a frozen banana, 1/2 cup of milk, some water (it was a little thick at first), some honey for sweetness, and the Be Bright Non-GMO Superfood oil blend.

Even though I used twice as much Be Bright as I was supposed to (I thought it said tablespoon at first, so I used 1 tablespoon and then stopped when I saw a serving was 2 teaspoons), I still didn’t have any fishy aftertaste.

Smoothies don’t have to be complicated and with the right ingredients, it can really be a convenient way to get a bunch of healthy nutrients!

Plus, they look pretty!

 

To learn more about Coromega and to Buy, visit their website here.

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***GIVEAWAY!***

Prize: 1 Coromega 3 Big Squeeze and 1 Be Bright Non-GMO Superfood Oil Blend

Eligibility: US only

Ends: Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 11:59 pm EST

How to enter: Use the Rafflecopter form below!

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received this product in order to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own and honest. Thanks for reading!

Tallahassee isn’t necessarily the culinary capital of Florida and I must confess that when it comes time to pick something up or go out to eat, we tend to stick to the same few places that are oh-so-conveniently located near our house. Especially with a toddler, we don’t always venture out to new places.

Brett scored one on the husband card last night when he set up a time for me to go out to dinner with his sister and mom and not only celebrate a child-free night before I don’t get one of those for a while, but to also thank them for giving us such an amazing baby shower. He and Trent hung out at home while I went out and enjoyed a new-to-me restaurant, Prime Time.

Prime Time is located in the heart of what we call “College Town.” Florida State University is undoubtedly the epicenter of town and just has a different feel to it. Luckily, we went during the final week between semesters, so we basically had the place to ourselves. If we would have gone next week, we probably would have waited an hour to be seated and forced to hear screaming college students at one of the many tvs along the wall or the two bars located inside.

But for this night, we enjoyed a nice, mostly quiet meal in a large booth and with prompt service.

We started out with Gooey Bread as an appetizer: Fresh baked Cerignola and Kalamata olive loaf, fresh mozzarella, Muenster and Fontina cheeses with sweet basil marinara. It was a good starter, a little too “olive-y” for me, but anything is good with cheese.

I enjoyed the Buffalo Chicken Tacos….two heaping tacos filled with buffalo chicken, romain, tomatoes, buttermilk ranch and fresh cilantro. The menu said “crispy chicken” but it was more like lightly breaded grilled chicken…which was perfect. And the buffalo sauce was just right, a little bit of spice, but not enough to make me sniffle and wipe my nose the rest of the night.

The tacos come alone, so I ordered a side of sweet potato fries. They are perhaps the best sweet potato fries I’ve ever had…battered and crunchy. Too bad I was really full already, but I took these babies in a to-go box.

My Mother-in-law enjoyed a “Burnout Burger” with jalapeño bacon, Fontina cheese, smoked jalapeños and crispy cayenne onions and jalapeño coffee BBQ sauce. Doesn’t that sound beyond spicy? Well, she said it wasn’t too spicy and it was delicious. She enjoyed it with eggplant fries. Sorry no photo here…the picture came out a little too blurry.

My sister-in-law enjoyed a Buffalo Chicken flatbread. No photo there either…I don’t know what I’m gonna do about those two taking their own photos lol.

We all split two desserts: a Nutella Lava Cake…

…and a Peanut Butter Pie.

Both were delicious and consumed entirely. If you twist my arm and make me pick a favorite, I would probably say the Nutella Lava cake because it was warm and had a center of creamy Nutella and would have gone pefect with some vanilla ice cream.

I enjoyed venturing to a new place and spending time out child-free and with two fun ladies. After dinner, even though we wanted to pass out from being full, we ventured to Target where they put together a nice little hospital bag for me.

Aren’t they the best?

 

It’s Monday morning and you’re so tired, all you can throw together for breakfast is a bowl of cereal. While I myself am obsessed with cereal, maybe you want to try something a little different for yourself or your family. Here are two breakfast recipe ideas from Hormel: one that’s quick (perfect for weekdays) and one that’ll take a little longer (perfect for weekends). Enjoy!

 

Ham and Egg Heart Toast

Serving Size: 2

Total Time: Under 15 minutes

Preparation Time: Under 15 minutes

Preparation Method: Stove-Top

Level of Difficulty: Beginner

Ingredients

2 teaspoons butter, divided

6 slices HORMEL® NATURAL CHOICE® Honey Ham

2 large eggs

4 slices bread, toasted and buttered

In medium skillet, melt 1 teaspoon butter over medium heat. Add ham; cook 2 to

3 minutes or until ham is warmed. Remove from skillet. Cover; keep warm.

In same skillet, melt remaining 1 teaspoon butter over medium heat. Carefully

crack eggs into pan. Cook 3 minutes or until whites are set or cooked as desired.

Cut heart shapes from 2 slices toast. Place 3 ham slices on remaining 2 slices toast. Top with eggs. Cover with heart cut-out toast slices.

 

Lemon Berry Tacos

Serving Size: 8

Total Time: More than 1 hour

Preparation Time: 1 Hour

Preparation Method: Grill

Level of Difficulty: Intermediate

 

Ingredients

2 large eggs

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1/3 cup butter, cut into cubes

1/2 cup whipping cream

8 CHI-CHI’S® Soft Taco Size Flour Tortillas

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 cups mixed berries (such as raspberries, sliced strawberries and blueberries)

Powdered sugar

 

To make lemon curd cream, in medium bowl, whisk together eggs, lemon juice and 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Place bowl over saucepan of simmering water. Add cubed butter to bowl, a little at a time and stirring between additions, until incorporated. Stir 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Transfer to cold bowl. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or until completely cold.

In small bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Fold cream into curd mixture.

To make tacos, grease grill grate. Prepare grill for medium heat. Brush tortillas

with melted butter; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Grill 2 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear. Carefully fold tortillas in half while still warm. Let stand until cool.

Fill tortillas with berries and lemon curd cream. Dust with powdered sugar.

 

Be sure to follow Hormel on Facebook to get new recipe ideas!

 

This post was part of my involvement in the Hormel Family Blogger Program. Thanks for reading!

 

Ever since I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, I have been paying so much attention to the foods I eat. I look at ingredients in everything and have really been shocked with some of the things I was eating on a regular basis. And while I sometimes can’t resist some of my cravings (hey, I AM pregnant, after all!) it really has opened my eyes, not only to the things I consume, but also what Trent eats…especially when it comes to his snacks, since that’s all he seems to eat is snacks!

Did you know:

• On average, Americans who snack do it twice a day.
• 42 percent of Americans feel they could commit to having one healthy snack every day.
• 42 percent of snackers are most likely to have an unhealthy snack between 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm.
• 41 percent of snackers are most likely to have an unhealthy snack on Saturdays.
• 43 percent of Americans have treated themselves to an unhealthy snack as a reward for an accomplishment.
• 23 percent have hidden their snacks from others so they wouldn’t have to share.

During the Summer, pool parties and gatherings with friends are a regular occurrence. The days are long & hot, but full of fun and energy. To fuel up for our fun-filled day outside, we started the day will a deliciously healthy breakfast tasting party, with Taste of Nature bars as the star of the show!

A little more about Taste of Nature:

Taste of Nature believes Real Tastes Good, and creates delicious, certified organic, gluten-free certified, non-gmo project verified snack bars with real, nuts, fruits and grains that you can see (and under 200 calories, too). Nothing artificial, no fillers and no chemicals – what you see is what you get with these bars. For more information, visit tasteofnature.ca.

Benefits of Taste of Nature bars:

• Certified Organic
• Non-GMO
• Certified Vegan
• Certified Kosher
• Gluten Free
• Low glycemic index
• No additives
• No artificial flavours
• No artificial sweeteners
• No animal products
• No dairy
• No preservatives
• No simple sugars
• No Sulphur Dioxide
• No cholesterol
• No wheat
• Low sodium

How amazing is that list of benefits?!

We had 5 flavors to try:

Canadian Maple Forest: pecans, apricots, brazil nuts, raisins, maple syrup

California Almond Valley: almonds, raisins, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds

Brazilian Nut Fiesta: raisins, peanuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds

Himalayan Goji Summit: peanuts, raisins, sunflower seeds, almonds, goji berries, raspberries

Québec Cranberry Carnival: peanuts, raisins, sesame seeds, almonds, cranberries, pumpkin seeds

Persian Pomegranate Garden: cashews, walnuts, figs, cranberries, apples, pomegranate, raspberries

Just look at those bars! You can see what they are made of…the fruits, nuts and seeds are all prominent in every bar so you know exactly what you’re eating. Yum.

This was also my first time tasting Taste of Nature bars and not only did I think they were delicious, but so did everyone else! Everyone liked being able to try different varieties to see what they liked best. Guests were able to take an entire bar to enjoy, but I also set up a yogurt parfait bar!

I chopped up the Taste of Nature bars into little bite-sized pieces as a yummy topping for the yogurt, blueberries, strawberries, bananas and chocolate chips.

Even our picky little Trent found a favorite…we didn’t expect him to devour a Taste of Nature bar the way he did and as you can see he looked very hesitant at first…

…but then he ran off and ate the entire thing! You know it’s tasty when Trent approves!

For those that needed a little extra for their breakfast, a bagel bar!

I was especially happy to invite a friend over that maintains a gluten-free diet. It felt good to have her be able to enjoy something and taste new options without worrying about gluten. She proclaimed the ones she tried were chewy, tasty and filling!

At just $1.99 a bar, they are an affordable, healthy & tasty snacking option!

I’m a slow-mover these days, so it was nice to sit and relax with friends to enjoy some tasty and healthy treats before playing outside all day!

 

Where to buy Taste of Nature: http://www.tasteofnature.ca/where-to-buy/

For those of you in Tallahassee, you can get Taste of Nature Bars at New Leaf Market Co-op!

 

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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.