My new favorite salad dressing

I am pretty picky when it comes to salad dressing.  For years I would eat my salads plain - not even ranch! Of course, my salads also consisted of iceberg lettuce and carrots.  Thankfully I have evolved somewhat and like lots of different things in and on my salad. However, I still avoid French, Catalina, Thousand Island, just to name a few.  But I am here to tell ya....THIS salad dressing by Moni's Natural Dressings & Sauces is THE.BOMB.COM. It has such a fresh, natural taste to it, with the perfect amount of spice to give it nice flavor, but not be overwhelming.  It enhances your salad, instead of completely changing the taste and texture. AND the Light House Tomato & Oil Vinaigrette has only 20 calories and 0.5 gm of fat per serving! Awesome.

I'm a fan.

Not only was this dressing very good, but I was also impressed with their sauces.  

I had the opportunity to try the Garlic and Basil Marinara and the Spicy Garlic Marinara (Arrabiata Sauce).  Spicy means SPICY. I have bought supposedly spicy pasta sauces before, and they were not the least bit hot.  This one lives up to it's name!  I like spicy hot...but it was almost too hot for me, as their website says "It's not for the faint of heart!".  I preferred to mix it with the Garlic and Basil Sauce, which is probably the best jarred sauce I've had, and together they were twice as fabulous!  Again, like the salad dressing, it has such a fresh flavor - not boring, bland, can't-really-tell-what-it-is-made-of.  The main ingredients are (from site)

• Fresh California Tomatoes
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Fresh Picked Basil Leaves
• Italian Herbs & Spices

I enjoyed my salad along with this pasta dish of whole wheat pasta, turkey Italian sausage, Moni's sauce, Parmesan and fresh basil.  Along with bread and a little

vino

So.Good.

If you are in the Texas area, you may have already had the salad dressing as it has been the house dressing available in many restaurants in that area for years.  If you are interested in seeing the supermarkets and restaurants where Moni's is available, check out their website http://monisnatural.com/locations/.  Unfortunately, they are not available in my area :-(  I foresee a road trip to a Whole Foods in the near future!

If you see the products in your local supermarket, I highly recommend checking it out.  Or you can order online!  I was also pleased that "The entire Moni's line is made with all natural ingredients and no preservatives. Additionally, all of the products are naturally gluten free and produced in a Gluten Free Certified Facility." (from a Moni's Natural representative)  

I really want to replace my Tomato & Oil Vinaigrette (because, yes, I finished that bottle faster than any salad dressing ever!), but I would also like to try their Italian Country Balsamic Dressing. I do love balsamic!

Let me know if you try or have tried these products!

I received products to facilitate my review and will be receiving compensation for this post. However, in no way does that influence my opinion of the products and I was under no obligation to write a review, positive or otherwise.

Chili's New #CoronaRita = Good Times!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Chili’s Grill & Bar for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It's almost Cinco de Mayo, and I am THRILLED to find out that one of my favorite "adult beverages" is now available at Chili's.  Yes, the CoronaRita at Chili's has made me a happy girl, and just in time for Cinco de Mayo! Not that I need an excuse really....date night, family night, girls night....whatev.  Chili's is a fun place to get a great meal, and of course, a great drink ;)

How's that for a little mouth watering enticement?!  Or what about ......

(Photo from Chili's)

The Fajita Trio...just in case you are like me and can't make up your mind if you want steak, chicken or shrimp! I believe that would go great with a CoronaRita!

Of course, I also love these...

Sliders and fries! (They would also go well with a CoronaRita. Just sayin'.)

*Just in case you are wondering what this drink is that I'm so excited about...it's a Margarita made with Jose Cuervo Especial Tequila and a Coronita. Yummers! I've always called them beer margaritas, but CoronaRita is a cool name for it!

And of course, I can't forget dessert...

My girls and I like to split this 'Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie'.  Of course, I would like to eat the entire thing by myself.  But I refrain.  Most of the time.

I like Chili's because it's a fun place to take the kids, and my local Chili's has their allergen information posted on the website, so it makes it a much less stressful place to take my little allergy boy.  But not only is it kid-friendly, it's also a fun place to go for a 'date night'.  Not that I've been able to have one of those in a while ;( 

So what about you?  Do you have a Chili's nearby?  What is your favorite entree and drink? I have a tendency to always order the same things (chicken or burgers), so I would love to get some feedback.  I need to broaden my tastebud horizons. And I can always wash it all down with a CoronaRita :)  Yes, I sort of have that on the brain now.  Must.Go.To.Chili's!  Who wants to join me?!

You must be 21 years of age or older to drink alcoholic beverages, and as always, drink responsibly!

Chocolate, Chocolate and more Chocolate!

We've had lots of birthdays around here, as soon as we get Christmas over and done....the birthdays start -

Miss Two had hers in January and we had 

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate (snowman) Cake

Number One wanted 'Angry Birds' in March. Her cupcakes were

the fabulous Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough cupcakes.

And now, in April, Mr. Three.  His birthday fell on Easter this year, so I never got around to posting his cake.  I'll bet you will never guess what flavor cake he wanted?  Did you say chocolate?  How'd you guess?!  Yes, all of my kids are following in their choco-holic mom's footsteps.  Poor kids.

He requested chocolate cake with chocolate icing.  And I decided to amp it up a little with added dark chocolate chips to 2 layers, and a mousse like filling between what accidently ended up being a four layer cake!

The cake was so tall that he had to stand up to blow out his candles!

And yes, that is Spiderman on his cake.

I couldn't get a good picture of all the layers when the cake was cut b/c the middle layers were very crumbly.  I had to make an egg free cake, and the first cake didn't turn out well (I used the Cherry Coke Zero and cake mix thing, which usually works well - but I think I overmixed it and they layers were very flat and crumbly.)  Since I didn't want a 2" cake, I made another cake to 'add to it'.  I used the egg free cake from last year, and it turned out great.  Wasn't too crumbly and rose well. Only problem was...then I ended up with this ginormous cake!

The filling consisted of a package of sugar free/fat free instant chocolate pudding mix (large box) and 1 cup milk.  Mix together and when it starts to thicken, add in a container of Cool Whip (I used either light or fat free - smaller container).  Once it is all mixed, you get a light, fluffy, 'frosting'.  (I got the idea from here and here.)

I then frosted the entire cake with my "semi homemade" chocolate fudge frosting. I have to say, other than my layers not being exactly the same size and therefore the caked looked a little 'lumpy' on the sides, it was a darn good cake!

You'll have to excuse the big holes and finger swipes all over the cake.  My now 4 year old was pretty happy with his super duper chocolate-y cake!  Every time I looked over, he had his fingers in it!

I have 2 giveaways going on right now!  General Mills Cereal and Print Runner! Check them out and enter with Rafflecopter ASAP :)

I'm linking this recipe up with Homemaker on a Dime, Delightfully Dowling, Mouthwatering Monday @ A Southern Fairytale, Skip to my Lou, Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative, Delicious Dishes at It's a Blog Party, Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff, Tasty Tuesdays @ 33 Shades of Green, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Made from Scratch Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday @ For The Love Of Blogs,Blue Cricket Design,Wow Me Wednesday at Ginger Snap Crafts, Lady Behind the Curtain, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, A Little Nosh, Simply Delish, Just Winging It,  It's a Keeper, Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hypo, One Artsy Mama,  Simple Living with Diane Balch, Everyday Mom Cakes, Around My Family Table,  Just us Four, Yummy Inspirations, Six Sisters' Stuff, The Sweet Details for Savory Sunday

Wordless Wednesday - Field Day

Giveaway from General Mills

If your kids are anything like mine, they love a straw. Especially the big, curvy, crazy straws. So, it was no surprise to me that when they saw this package arrive - they were excited!

Why is putting crazy straws in a box of cereal a good idea?  

To prevent all that milk from being left in the bottom of the bowl! 

 My children don't even realize they are drinking the rest of their milk while they are 'playing' with the straws. (I also like the bowls you can buy with the built in straws for this purpose.)  It's becoming more and more of a challenge to get my older kids to drink milk.  My youngest still loves it, but the girls have to be 'urged' to drink it.  Chocolate milk usually works, but I was pleased that by using the crazy straws, they finished their milk and it was "hassle free"!  Anything that makes my kids do like I want without a bunch of fussing is good to me!  Kids of all ages can collect and connect the different straws (available in specially marked packages of General Mills cereal) and while they are having fun, they are also increasing their calcium intake!  As you know, calcium is very important for strong teeth and bones.

General Mills and MyBlogSpark have teamed up once again to offer a generous and fun giveaway.  The prize package will include everything you see in the above photo (the participating cereals may vary, my package included Honey Nut Cheerios).  The participating cereals are Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (17 oz.), Lucky Charms®(16 oz.), Reese´s® Puffs (18 oz.), Honey Nut Cheerios® (17 oz.), Trix®(14.8 oz)  and Cocoa Puffs® (16.5 oz).  

Giveaway package includes: 

• 1 box of a participating Big G cereal
• 1 Curvy Straw
• 1 `spilt´ milk bowl
• 2 glow cups
• 2 tangle toys

Don't want to wait for the giveaway? Save $1.25 with the purchase of two participating General Mills cereal boxes.  Just click HERE!  Interested in learning more about Big G cereals? Check out the  Whole Grain Nation website.

The 'glow cups' were a HUGE hit with my 4 year old!  Just check out this video clip...

What a little nut! And yes, the video clip is sideways. I'll learn how to use all my technology one day.  Maybe.

To enter the giveaway, just follow the instructions in Rafflecopter.  You can do as many or as few of the options as you would like.

Disclosure:  The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Chai Latte Scones

Yes, now you can drink your chai and eat it too!  The spices in a chai latte just conjure up feelings of peace and relaxation. (For me anyway! Don't ask me why, it's just one of those things.)  So, when I saw this coffee creamer ....

I immediately wanted to give it a try.  I also could not get the idea of cooking with it out of my head.  I decided to try it in scones. 

Chai Latte Scones with a 'Dirty Chai' glaze (a Makin' it Mo'Betta original!)

2 cups flour (I used a combination of whole wheat and cake flour)

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. cloves

1/4 t. ginger

1/4 t. sea salt

1-2 Chai Tea bags

4 T. butter (cold, cut into small chunks)

1/2 c. plain yogurt

1/2 c. chai latte creamer

3 T. brown sugar

1 t.vanilla

Glaze:  chai latte creamer, instant coffee or espresso powder, confectioners sugar

Directions - Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Mix together flour, baking powder, spices, salt and tea (removed from tea bags).  Cut in cold butter.  (it will be a dry and crumbly mixture).  In separate bowl, combine plain yogurt, creamer, brown sugar and vanilla.  Add yogurt mixture into flour mixture and gently mix until just combined.  Place dough on floured surface and shape into a circle.

My dough was super sticky, but I didn't want to keep adding flour and kneading it in.  So, I patted out my circle of dough, about an inch thick, and placed it on my baking sheet (with a silicone mat).  I made cut marks in my dough, but didn't separate it.  After baking, I cut it into triangles.  This worked fine.

My glaze was an experiment, so I didn't even write down measurements.  I added about a cup of confectioners sugar into a small bowl, added in a couple tablespoons of creamer (start with one and add until you get desired consistency) and a couple teaspoons of coffee. You should dissolve coffee in a small (maybe a teaspoon) of warm water before adding it to the other ingredients.  I forgot to do this, and it took forever to mix in smoothly.  If the mixture is too thin, add more powdered sugar - if too thick, add more creamer.  (FYI - if you are not familiar with a Dirty Chai - check it out here!)  You could also add coffee into the scones themselves, or leave it out all together.

Verdict?  YUM!  Perfect with a cup of coffee (or chai tea!)

I'm linking this recipe up with Homemaker on a Dime, Delightfully Dowling, Mouthwatering Monday @ A Southern Fairytale, Skip to my Lou, Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative, Delicious Dishes at It's a Blog Party, Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff, Tasty Tuesdays @ 33 Shades of Green, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Made from Scratch Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday @ For The Love Of Blogs,Blue Cricket Design,Wow Me Wednesday at Ginger Snap Crafts, Lady Behind the Curtain, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, A Little Nosh, Simply Delish, It's a Keeper, Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hypo, One Artsy Mama,  Simple Living with Diane Balch, Everyday Mom Cakes, Around My Family Table,  Just us Four, Yummy Inspirations, Six Sisters' Stuff, The Sweet Details for Savory Sunday; and Eat at Home for ingredient spotlight - sour cream & yogurt AND tea

Affiliate ads

PrintRunner Giveaway!

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that my 4 year old son has multiple food allergies.  It has changed the way I prepare, buy and even think about food.  It also is a constant concern as my son gets older and is more involved in activities outside the home.  Preschool, church, friends' houses, going out to eat, even going to a relative's house is always overshadowed by his food allergies.  You have to educate others, constantly monitor what is being eaten, and be prepared for emergencies.  My post here gives an example of why I always have to be diligent and how quickly things can go wrong.

So...where am I going with this?  Well, it occurred to me that it would be very beneficial as my little boy goes 'out into the world' if I had a way to constantly remind people, or make new people aware, of his food allergies. Soon after, I was contacted by a sponsor at PrintRunner about hosting a giveaway.  PrintRunner can handle all your print service needs, with tons of options available (calendars, bumper stickers, postcards, stickers, etc).  They gave me the option of giving away stickers or postcards. I thought STICKERS! That's the perfect solution!  Printing stickers that warn of my son's food allergies!  Easy to see, stick on, remove....perfect!
 I was thinking of something like this.

The winner of this giveaway will get to design their very own stickers too.  Do you want to promote your business? Blog? Label crafts? Labels for your children?  The possibilities are endless, and this giveaway includes a whopping 250 stickers!


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Disclaimer - I will be receiving a set of stickers for hosting this giveaway.  

Margarita Cake

I've mentioned that I made a Margarita Cake for Easter, and wanted to share the recipe.  It was really good, and it starts with a cake mix!

Margarita Cake - slightly adapted from the Cake Mix Doctor

• Cake: 
• Cooking spray, for misting the pan
• Flour, for dusting the pan
• 1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow or lemon cake mix (I used lemon)
• 4 tablespoons vanilla instant pudding mix (I used fat free, sugar free instant pudding)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• ½ cup vegetable olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lime or Key lime juice
• ¼ cup tequila
• 2 tablespoons triple sec orange liqueur 
• 1 teaspoon  tablespoon grated lime zest
• 4 large eggs

• Glaze:
• 1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1 tablespoon tequila
• 1 tablespoon triple sec orange liqueur 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice or Key lime juice
• 3-4 drops Orange NuStevia (optional)
• 2-3 drops of Lemon NuStevia (optional)
• 1 lime, cut into thin slices (I omitted)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons coarse sugar (I omitted)
• 
  
• Directions:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pan aside.

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix the cake mix, pudding mix, sugar, water, oil, 1/3 cup lime juice, ¼ cup tequila, 2 tablespoons orange liqueur, lime zest and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are combined, abt 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and mix on medium speed for 1½ minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look smooth and thick. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula, and place the pan in the oven.
2. Bake the cake until the top springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, 42 to 47 minutes. Transfer the Bundt pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edges of the cake, shake the pan gently, and invert the cake onto a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely, about 25 minutes longer.  (My cake pulled away from the sides as it cooled and I didn't need to run a knife along the sides of the pan.  It came out easily, unlike this one! My cake also fell some.  ALL my cakes fall...I don't know what I'm doing wrong!)
3. Meanwhile, make the glaze: Place the confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon tequila, 1 tablespoon orange liqueur, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and the lemon and orange Stevia drops in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Slide the cake onto a serving plate. Using a long wooden skewer poke 12 to 16 holes in the top of the cake. Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Garnish the cake with the lime slices and a sprinkling of coarse sugar. Let the glaze set for 10 minutes, then slice and serve the cake.

Verdict - This cake was all I hoped it would be....dense and moist like a pound cake, with a nice citrus flavor.  The glaze was delicious and really complimented and added to the flavor of the cake.  The new flavored stevia extracts from NuNaturals are amazing!  Very intense flavor.  I can't wait to try them in different recipes. (Review & Giveaway coming!)  I only tasted a hint of Tequila in the glaze, and I think that is just because I knew it was there.  It could be left out if you prefer, or increased if you want to intensify the flavor.  (If you add more liquid, you may need to add more confectioner's sugar,depending on the consistency of the glaze.)  Overall, this is a perfect dessert for spring/summer and is going in the 'keeper file'!

I'm linking this recipe up with Homemaker on a Dime, Delightfully Dowling, Mouthwatering Monday @ A Southern Fairytale, Skip to my Lou, Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative, Delicious Dishes at It's a Blog Party, Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff, Tasty Tuesdays @ 33 Shades of Green, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Made from Scratch Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday @ For The Love Of Blogs,Blue Cricket Design,Wow Me Wednesday at Ginger Snap Crafts, Lady Behind the Curtain, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, A Little Nosh, Simply Delish, It's a Keeper, Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hypo, Simple Living with Diane Balch, Everyday Mom Cakes, Around My Family Table,  Just us Four, Six Sisters' Stuff, The Sweet Details for Savory Sunday; Finding Joy in my Kitchen (Ingredient Spotlight: Citrus)

{semi} Wordless Wednesday - Easter Edition

Hope y'all had a great weekend, and some of you are enjoying Spring Break this week.  My kids were out last week....so it's 'back to normal' for us. Normal being relative.  Some pics from Easter...

Hot Cross Buns

Cadbury Caramel 'Deviled' Eggs

awesome cake - recipe soon!

tree climbing

egg hunting

chillaxin' with the cutest puppy ever

Meatball Sub Casserole

I don't know about y'all, but I love a casserole.  I don't know if it's a Southern thang or what...but chicken casseroles, pork chop casserole, you name it.  So, when I saw this Meatball Sub Casserole on Pinterest, I was ready to give it a try.  Especially since it had a nice, cheesy picture to go with it.  (There is one problem however.  I don't even like meatball subs.  But....I made it anyway.  Because I'm weird like that.)  I figured, how can you go wrong with bread, cheese and pasta sauce.  Plus it was super easy to throw together.

It doesn't plate all that pretty, but like I said, bread, cheese, sauce....what's not to like?! 

Meatball Sub Casserole adapted from Brenda's Canadian Kitchen

Meatballs* (I used frozen turkey meatballs)

1 loaf  (1 pound) Italian bread, cut into 1 1/2 inch slices*

1 package (8 ounces) reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 cups shredded Italian blend cheeses

1 jar (28 ounce) spaghetti or marinara sauce

1 cup water (I didn't use)

2 garlic cloves, minced (I omitted)

*See original recipe for homemade meatball recipe

*Since other reviews mentioned the bread being soggy, I sprayed my bread with olive oil & garlic powder and broiled to get it crisp and toasted before adding it to my casserole.

Arrange bread in a single layer in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish (all of the bread might not be used). Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning and pepper; spread over the bread. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. (I cut the recipe in half and used an 8x8 pan)

Combine the spaghetti sauce, water and garlic; add meatballs. Pour over cheese mixture; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through. I did not completely thaw my meatballs before adding to casserole.  I just had them sitting out while I got everything else ready. 

Since I used frozen turkey meatballs, jarred sauce, and store bought bread, this came together in a snap and was super easy for a weeknight meal.  Unfortunately, I have crazy children who wouldn't eat it.  This whole I don't like sauce is getting old.  Just eat it already!  I thought it was pretty good, considering I don't really like meatballs.  I think next time I'll make it with turkey italian sausage.  Yum!  It definitely tastes like a meatball sub, so if you like those, you should love this!

A few notes: toasting the bread and having nice thick slices helps ensure the bread doesn't get too soggy.  I also didn't add the water...which would have made a lot more sauce, but the bread would definitely get soft I think.  It depends on what you like.  (I personally hate soggy bread)  Making simple ingredient substitutions, like the turkey meatballs, reduced fat cream cheese and fat free mayo makes this a much more figure friendly dish than it would be otherwise.  Also, you could use a whole wheat bread loaf.  

Since the weekend was filled with a birthday party and Easter, I have more sweet treats to share!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a $25 giftcard to sneakpeeq.com!

http://kim-thislittlelifeofmine.blogspot.com/2012/04/sneak-peek-at-sneakpeeq-giveaway.html

Linking up with Finding Joy in My Kitchen

Easter Treats

Easter is Sunday! I can't believe we are already into April.  Sunday is also Mr. Three's birthday!  Soooo....I guess after this weekend he will technically be Mr. Four.  It seems like I just gave birth to the kid, and here he is turning 4, getting SO tall, and spraying my toilet with.....oops....sorry.  TMI.

Since I have been focused on birthday party stuff (yes, we just had a birthday around here) I haven't done any cute little Easter stuff.  So, I thought I would post a few things from last year, and things I have planned for the weekend.

Peep Cupcakes

Made these for Mr. Three's preschool Easter party last year.  

He missed his party this year b/c he was sick :(

Easter Wreath

I made this last year, and put it back up this year.  This wreath, a tablecloth and one little Easter tree sitting on the table are the ONLY decorations I've done this year! Slacker.

Hot Cross Buns

Pure awesomeness. Traditional.  Will be making again.

photo via Cakespy

Cadbury 'Deviled Eggs'

I think these are so cute! Plan to make these and take to my parents' house on Sunday.  I bet they are so sweet your teeth will fall out if you eat them, but the kids will get a kick out of them.  And nothing is too sweet to a child!

Photo via The Cake Mix Doctor

Margarita Cake

This citrus-y cake sounds perfect for spring.  And it has Tequila :D

It's it bad to have Tequila on Easter? hmmmm...

I'm thinking about making a cranberry-lime curd to go with it.  We'll see how it goes.  I might just have some tequila and forget about baking altogether.  This is obviously the grown up dessert.  

So, those are my planned Easter treats.  What are y'all up to for the weekend?

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a $25 Gift Card to sneakpeeq!

(http://kim-thislittlelifeofmine.blogspot.com/2012/04/sneak-peek-at-sneakpeeq-giveaway.html)

Chocolate Pudding Dump Cake - 4 ingredients!

I know, I know.  Chocolate again.  I just can't help it.  There have been birthdays and stuff that have just required chocolate. (Not that I really need a reason, but it helps ease the guilt.)  Week before last, I volunteered (yes, volunteered. I should know better.) to make dessert for a church fundraiser/dinner.  I had all kinds of fabulous ideas floating around on Pinterest in my head that I wanted to try out.  Last week rolls around, and it's time to make the dessert.  And guess what....sick kid.  Like 104 fever, coughing his guts out sick.  So, I stay home doctoring him for a couple of days and realize it's getting worse instead of better, so we make a trip to the doctor.  Of course this happens to be the day I'm supposed to make the dessert.  We go to the doctor, Mr. Three has an ear infection, we go to the pharmacy....yada, yada.  So, by the time I get home to make said dessert, I don't have a lot of time.  Nothin' fancy is going to be happenin' in my kitchen.

Thank goodness I had some quick and easy recipes pinned!  Like this 'Chocolate Pudding Dump Cake' by Eat, Live, Run.  It looked super delicious, but only required 4 ingredients.  Holla!  I was all over it.

This is all you need, plus milk.  

And you end up with this....

Total crowd pleaser!

I SO wanted to try it before I sent it to church, but (one) that would be tacky, and (two)....well, I don't have a second thing.  It would just be downright tacky, and my mama taught me better than that ;)

However, I was nervous about sending something out the door without having been 'taste tested'.  The batter was delicious, but that is all I could vouch for.  Anyways...sick kid, no time, no choice!

Chocolate Pudding Dump Cake

('dump' cake is such a Southern thing I think.  Who wants to eat something chocolate with 'dump' in the title?!)  Well, me, apparently.  

1 box of chocolate cake mix

1 small box of chocolate pudding (I used the sugar free/fat free)

1 3/4 cups skim milk*

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I used semi sweet)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix your pudding with the milk. *The original recipe said to prepare the pudding with the milk according to package directions.  My package said 1 3/4 cup milk for pie, and 2 cups for pudding.  Her directions called for 1 1/2 cups.  So...I just went with the 1 3/4 cup amount.  She used regular instant pudding, not sf/ff, so her box might have called for a different amount.  After mixing your pudding and milk, stir in your chocolate cake mix.  Just the dry mix, do not add anything to it.  The batter will be very thick.  (Like very thick frosting!).  It's okay, just go with it.  Spread it into a greased 9x13 baking pan and scatter the chocolate chips on top.  Bake for 30 minutes, until the edges start pulling away from the pan.  My oven cooks hot, so I only cooked mine for about 25 minutes.

Looks good right?  I told my children they must taste it and let me know how it was!

Verdict? The kids said it was fantastic.  I was told it was the 1st dessert to run out.  Others were talking about it afterwards....sooo, I'm calling this one a keeper, even though I haven't actually tasted it!  But with all that chocolate, how can you go wrong?!  You could also change this up and use different flavors of cake mix and pudding, and different chips.  Lots of possibilities, and it's easy!  What would your favorite combination be? I'd love more ideas!

I have a giveaway going on for a $25 dollar gift card to sneakpeeq.com.  Be sure to check it out and enter!

I'm linking up today with Everything Under the Moon, Homemaker on a Dime, Delightfully Dowling, A Southern Fairytale, Skip to my Lou, The Girl Creative, Life as Mom, Things that make you say "mmmmm!", Making the World Cuter, The Sweet Spot, Our Delightful Home, It's a Blog Party, All the Small Stuff, 33 Shades of Green, Blessed with Grace, From Mess Hall to Bistro, Eat at Home, Finding Joy in My Kitchen

A Sneak Peek at Sneakpeeq & a GIVEAWAY!

Are you familiar with sneakpeeq.com? It is a social shopping company on Facebook that is growing by leaps and bounds!  (In December 2011, Sneakpeeq was named one of the Top 10 Best Social Apps of 2011 http://tnw.co/suvAFi . In January 2012, Sneakpeeq reached a milestone when it officially became fully integrated into Facebook’s Open Graph (like Spotify) http://tnw.co/wtG0yq.) 


They currently have over 300,000 users, and to date, have primarily partnered with brands in the fashion, home decor, & gourmet food categories - over 600+ brands!  Guess which one of those I'm mostly excited about?! Did someone say food?

Obviously, when someone from Sneakpeeq approached me about hosting a giveaway I jumped on it after checking out the site and learning more about them.  I do LOVE to shop!  Especially when I know I am getting great deals on great brands.  I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in that, so I am pleased to tell you that Sneakpeeq is offering ALL of my readers an EXCLUSIVE 20% off code on top of the already great discounts!

That's not all, one person will win a $25 GIFT CARD to use on all the great food things at Sneakpeeq.com!

So, how do you get in on all this awesomeness? 

**IMPORTANT INFO**

 To enter the giveaway you MUST click on this link:  http://bit.ly/yQ6MM7  This link is the only way you will be entered into the giveaway.  You also will receive your 20% discount just by entering the giveaway (through the provided link).  Just click on the link, join sneakpeeq, and shop away!  I clicked on the link to make sure it was working and spent 20 minutes looking at the most awesome finds until I remembered I was trying to get a post up!  

(I was checking out these) 

photos from sneakpeeq

Are they not the cutest way to carry around your iPhone, Android or Blackberry?!  

And don't even get me started on the chocolates I found....*drool*

Rules - Fine Print - etc

 1 - Use the above provided link to enter the giveaway for the $25 Gift Card and to receive your 20% discount.  Mandatory entry.

2 - Only new sneakpeeq users can enter the giveaway.  This means that only new sneakpeeq users will receive the 20% off when they click the link.

3 - The giveaway is limited to the U.S.

4 - *optional* To receive additional entries, promote the giveaway anyway you want...Facebook, Twitter, blog post, etc.  Do as many as you would like, and come back and leave a comment letting me know how you promoted it.  I will give an additional entry for each way. 

So that's it.  No jumping through hoops, just click the provided link (optional entries are available however) and enter!  Sneakpeeq will send me a list of everyone who entered and I will randomly select a winner to be notified via email on 4/16. This contest will end on 4/15/12 (midnight, EST)