Betty Crocker Contest

THIS IS NOW CLOSED

Don't you just love give a ways! I know I do!!! Here's another chance for you to win something!!! Read on!





Gathering the family around the dinner table to enjoy a home cooked meal is a great way to unwind, but there aren´t always enough hours in the day to prepare an entire meal from scratch.

To find a delicious side dish that´s easy to prepare and tastes homemade, look no further than Betty Crocker´s® Boxed Instant Mashed Potatoes, which are made with 100% real potatoes.

With a just-like-mom´s taste, Betty Crocker Boxed Instant Mashed Potatoes go from stovetop to table in just eight short minutes. Based on a scratch recipe, the Homestyle Creamy Butter variety will have your family thinking you spent hours in the kitchen the next time you serve up a hearty helping. If you prefer an extra kick of flavor, give the Roasted Garlic variety a try. And with two pouches in every box there´s plenty to go around.

Be sure to try the Au Gratin flavor variety, too! For more information, visit BettyCrocker.com, and be sure to follow Betty Crocker on Twitter and "Like" the Facebook page to keep up with all of the latest news on your Betty Crocker favorites!

We are HUGE fans of mashed potatoes in this house and these tasted just like homemade to us. We really enjoyed the garlicy flavors the best but they were all fantastic!!!! Please go out and try them and judge for yourself!!! Really yummy!!!!! (My husband could eat them as a meal!!)

I am pleased to offer another wonderful pirze pack brought to you by the fab people at
Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark.

If you choose to participate the winner will receive a prize pack that includes two boxes of Betty Crocker Boxed Instant Mashed Potatoes (one Roasted Garlic and one Homestyle Creamy Butter), a serving bowl, a trivet and a serving spoon. FABULOUS!!!!

All you need to do is answer the following question to be eligible:

What do you like to put into your mashed potatoes? cheese, garlic, sour cream, do you love them plain?

One entry per person please and make sure you leave me an email address to contact you!!

This will end Wednesday, October 20 at NOON pst.

Good luck!!!!!!

winner

and the Lawry's winner is.......

HOLLY!!!!

email me at rebekahskitchen(at)live(dot)com with your mailing info.

Thanks!!!!

New Giveaway

THIS IS NOW CLOSED! THANKS!

I have to tell you that I'm totally excited about this giveaway!!!
I love marinades and trying new flavors!!! Through the generosity of My Blog Spark and Lawry's I got to try some of their new flavor marinades! YUM!!!!!!! So excited!!! And I know you will be too!!

A recent Lawry´s survey found that your choice of flavor says more about you than you think. The nationwide poll looked at preferences for tart, spicy, sweet, and savory flavors and found that your choice can reveal some interesting aspects of your personality.

What´s your flavor?

• Joyous Joiners - Tart Flavors
  If you are one for tart flavors, you tend to be extremely happy overall, particularly with your family, finances, work/life balance and even your health. As a Joyous Joiners you are an extrovert who loves to entertain at home, find it very important to join in social events in your community and are active on the greatest number of social networking sites.


• Self-Assured Adventurers - Spicy Flavors If your preference is for spicy flavors, consider yourself a confident, adventurous individual with a passion for travel and cooking. You are the biggest risk taker and although impulsive, you are not reckless - as a Self-Assured Adventurer you also tend to be resourceful, analytical, and most able to "look at the big picture."


• The Sweet Lifers - Sweet Flavors
  As a Sweet Lifer, home and family are close to your heart. You are the kindest and most loyal, although you probably wouldn´t admit that as you are also the most modest. As an individual that prefers sweeter flavors (honey and fruit-infused), you are influenced by your parents, enjoy family entertainment, and consider yourself spiritual.


• The Conventionalists - Savory Flavors
  Your passion for savory flavors shows you have an enthusiasm for politics, enjoy camping and hiking and love outdoor barbeques and American cuisine. Along with the other Conventionalists, you tend to be more introverted than the rest of the groups and often describe yourself as a homebody.

Lawry´s has something for you no matter what your flavor is, including two new marinades and four new Seasoning Mix packets that help create simple meals with an abundance of flavor:

Marinades

• Szechuan Sweet & Sour BBQ gives meat a delicious sweet and sour flavor with a touch of Szechuan heat


• Tuscan Sun-Dried Tomato includes extra virgin olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, sweet red bell peppers and the perfect blend of herbs

Seasoning Mixes

• Asian Style Beef & Broccoli - This easy to prepare stir fry meal will remind your family of their favorite Asian restaurant. The dish combines beef, broccoli and seasonings with a hint of garlic. Serve it over rice and you have a complete, satisfying meal.


• Chimichurri Burrito Casserole - Lawry´s gives the familiar Burrito casserole a new twist with this traditional Latin American sauce. With a few simple fresh ingredients, mealtime just got a lot more exciting.


• Mediterranean Sundried Tomato & Garlic Chicken - Add a taste of the Mediterranean to your family´s casserole. This easy to bake casserole combines chicken, pasta, tomatoes and Feta cheese to easily make a flavorful meal any night of the week.


• Tuscan Style Chicken Marsala with Garlic and Basil - Chicken Marsala is a restaurant favorite, but it might not make the menu at home. This effortless version comes together on your stovetop with just a few fresh ingredients. Flavorful garlic and basil gives this meal its own Tuscan flair, perfect for serving over pasta or rice.

So would YOU like to win a prize pack from My Blog Spark and Lawry's that contains a Lawry´s marinating dish, a set of skewers, Lawry´s two new marinades, as well as a sample of each of the four new Seasoning Mixes and a bottle of Lawry´s Seasoned Salt? All you have to do is answer the following question:

what's your favorite flavor marinade and what do you put it on?

ONE winner will be picked at random and you have until this Sunday, October 2nd at midnight (PST) to enter!!

Good luck!!!!

Warm Caramel Apple Cake

I made this the other day because I had some apples that were in dire need of being used. If you are lucky enough to get the free Betty Crocker recipe calendar then you are in luck and you have this recipe! This is where I got it. It's really good, whether you eat it warm right out of the oven (which I HIGHLY recommend) or a couple of days later -if you have any left that is.. :)
It was really yummy!!!

Warm Caramel Apple Cake

1/2	cup butter or margarine
1/4	cup whipping cream
1	cup packed brown sugar
1/2	cup chopped pecans-i omitted this because I am too cheap to buy them and i don't live in a place that grows them, plus I doubt anyone would have eaten it with them in it anyway...
2	large cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (about 2 1/3 cups)
1	box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix
1 1/4	cups water
1/3	cup vegetable oil
3	eggs
1/4	teaspoon apple pie spice- i just used cinnamon

Topping

2/3	cup Betty Crocker® Whipped fluffy white frosting (from 12-oz container)
1/2	cup frozen (thawed) whipped topping
	Caramel topping, if desired

	Print these coupons...
	About Concordance™

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In 1-quart heavy saucepan, cook butter, whipping cream and brown sugar over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until butter is melted. Pour into 13x9-inch pan. Sprinkle with pecans; top with sliced apples.
2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs and apple pie spice with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Carefully spoon batter over apple mixture.
3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Loosen sides of cake from pan. Place heatproof serving platter upside down on pan; carefully turn platter and pan over. Let pan remain over cake about 1 minute so caramel can drizzle over cake. Remove pan.
4. In small bowl, mix frosting and whipped topping. Serve warm cake topped with frosting mixture and drizzled with caramel topping.

We did not use the topping, I had some whipped topping in the fridge that we used instead and it worked perfectly. The kids almost preferred it that way. I also didn't invert the cake after it was baked. I just invert the pieces as they are cut from the cake. I didn't have a platter big enough.

Hope you enjoy!!!

Mexican Pizzas

I love Taco Bell. All things Taco Bell. Unfortunately we don't go out to eat that often so I've been scrounging for copy cat recipes (plus it's cheaper). My favorite thing there I still can't find a recipe for so if you know of a killer copy cat recipe for the Beef Meximelt I'm all ears. But the other night I found a copy cat recipe for their Mexican Pizza. So I decided to try it out. It wasn't a HUGE success but it was tasty. The kids aren't fond of cilantro and tried to be sneaky about not eating it. Otherwise, it was ok. A bit messy but good none the less (at least to me anyway).

Ingredients

• 12 (6 inch) Flour Tortillas, cooked into crispy tortillas
• 1-1/2 cups refried beans, prepared
• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef, chuck, raw
• 1/2 packet taco seasoning
  
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons pizza sauce, prepared
• 1-1/2 cups Mexican Cheese Blend, grated, prepared
• 3/4 cup Roma tomato, fresh, small chop
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, fresh, rough chopped
  

To make the Crispy Tortillas: Place all 8 tortillas directly on the oven rack of a 350 degrees F oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve on your work surface.

1. Heat the 1 cup of refried beans for 1 minute in the microwave to get hot and reserve for the recipe build.
2. Season the ground beef with salt, pepper and taco seasoning and saute for 8 minutes in a non-stick pan, drain and reserve hot for the recipe build.
3. To build 1 Mexican Pizza: Place 1 crispy tortilla on work surface.
4. Evenly spread tortilla with hot refried beans.
5. Evenly top refried beans with of the cooked ground beef.
6. Top ground beef with second crisp tortilla and evenly spread 1 heaping tablespoon of pizza sauce over the tortilla.
7. Evenly top the pizza sauce with grated Mexican cheese blend and 2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes.
8. Repeat steps 1 through 5 for remaining 3 servings.
9. Place all 4 pizzas, at one time, in 350 degrees F oven on a cookie pan/flat pan, and bake for 2 minutes to melt the cheese. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro evenly over the top of each pizza. Serve each pizza whole.

*We didn't cook the pizzas after assembled. And if I were to do this again I would not cook the tortillas before hand but warm them through after assembled. They were very messy!!

Peanut Butter Swirled Brownies

Pregnant=a never ending chocolate craving. Try these the next time you get a craving!!

Peanut Butter Swirled Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 -8oz pkg cream cheese , softened
• 1/2 cup peanut butter - i used a mixture of chunky and creamy
  
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1 egg, and milk until smooth. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix together melted butter, 2 cups white sugar, and vanilla. Mix in the remaining 3 eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; mix into the batter. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Remove 1 cup of the chocolate batter. Spread the remaining batter into the prepared pan. Spread the peanut butter filling over the top. Drop the reserved chocolate batter by teaspoonful over the filling. Using a knife, gently swirl through the top layers for a marbled effect.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out almost clean. Cool completely, then cut into bars.

Hawaiian Sandwiches

Our favorite pizza is the Hawaiian. I just love the flavors of the pineapple and ham. I also love it when it has bbq sauce slathered all over it. My mouth is watering just thinking about it-really.Great, now i want pizza!! haha!

Hawaiian Sandwiches

Hamburger buns or hoagie rolls - we used hamburger buns-cheaper and easier!
Deli Ham
Sliced Pineapple
Barbecue Sauce
Deli Sliced Provolone Cheese - feel free to use whatever you family likes best-mozzarella would be fab here as well!!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Assemble melts starting with Ham, Pineapple Slices, BBQ sauce, and Cheese last. Put the top on and individually wrap the sandwich snugly in the foil. Place sandwiches in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Give it 5 minutes to cool and enjoy!! If you are using hamburger buns I wouldn't go the full 15 minutes, maybe shave off about 5 or so minutes. Depends on your oven. Ours were super ooey and gooey. But hey if you like that then go for it (we were split down the middle on who liked the ooey and gooey and who didn't).

Serve these with your favorite potatoe or macaroni salad! SSSSSOOOOOO easy and ssssssoooo good!!!