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Breakfast Cinnamon Roll Casserole Bake #Recipe

November 29, 2012 by

Every Christmas Morning I bake up Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls while the kids are opening gifts and usually serve them along with juice, milk and sausage. I like to keel breakfast light since we have a big family dinner in the early afternoon. Thanksgiving we don’t usually have any traditions since we tend to head out to visit family for the turkey feast.

cinnamon roll casserole bake

 

This year I wanted to make something special for the kids for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning. I had just visited BJs wholesale the night before and picked up a 4-pack of cinnamon rolls so it just seemed perfect that I made something different with them. I’ve seen recipes for cinnamon roll waffles but we have a Belgian waffle iron so that wasn’t going to work. I love french toast casserole so this felt like the next best thing. It turned out the be THE best thing. This is something I’ll be making again.

cinnamon roll casserole

Cinnamon Roll Casserole Bake

Recipe Type: Breakfast
Author: Melinda@LookWhatMomFound
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
a blend of sweet and cinnamony rolls baked into a warm, sticky and delicious casserole.
Ingredients
  • Cooking Spray
  • 2 packages of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup whole milk or heavy cream or half and half
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375® and spray a 9 X 13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
  2. Open the cinnamon rolls, set aside icing and cut each roll into 8 pieces.
  3. Place all cut rolls evenly into your pan.
  4. In a bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla and maple syrup.
  5. Pour evenly over cinnamon roll pieces.
  6. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.
  7. While rolls are still hot drizzle with included icing.
  8. Serve Warm.

Make it even simpler on Christmas mornings by prepping the rolls the night before and storing in the fridge in your  casserole dish.  In the morning just whip up your eggs and milk mixture, pour and bake.

cinnamon roll casserole




Rose Romano’s Italian Peppers instead of sauce

November 8, 2012 by

There are a few meals that are a hit in our house, meals that I know I won’t get any arguments, eye rolls or tears. One of these meals is pasta with sausage. The problem is the kids don’t like sauce. This means that this meal has to be watered down with broth or drizzled with oil or I have to cook up some diced tomatoes, garlic and oil just to add moisture to the dish. I don’t like any of these options. Rose Romano’s Italian Peppers were in my pantry for about a day before figuring I could add them to the sausage, peppers and onions and create something entirely new.

Rose Romano’s Italian Gourmet Toppings are a low calorie, gluten-free, locally-sourced gourmet topping made with red or green bell peppers, used on pasta, vegetables, seafood, omelets and sandwiches.

rose romanos italian peppers sauce
I added about 1/2 cup of the red pepper sauce to the final few minutes of cooking. Since my kids don’t like their pasta very saucy I wanted to add just enough to bring the meal together but not to much so that there was anything left in the bowl.

They loved it. I got a few looks when I presented it but assured them it wasn’t regular sauce, it was better. It was so good in fact that I never got a picture of the in a bowl AND there were no leftovers. Rob depends on leftovers for a good lunch at work but his family let him down this day.

Rob and I have been mixing it with our pizza sauce on Fridays. At first he didn’t sound very keen on changing up the routine I’ve built for the past 5 1/2 years but after 2 weeks he noted that it gives it a unique flavor, much better than our traditional pizza sauce.

I received 4 jars of Rose Romano’s Italian Gourmet Topping in a really gorgeous wooden box (that I’m totally re-purposing into a family shadow box). I’ve used 2 jars so far and am getting nervous that I’m going to out soon.

rose romano's italian peppers in a box

Rose Romano’s is a local business started by Michael Angotti and his family. A business that started from a love of simple delicious food.  Marshall Angotti recalls memories of spending his youth prepping, washing and cutting peppers for his families grocery stores.  It came naturally for him to start his own brand using the same attention to detail and focus on flavor that his family did many years ago. The end result is a refined, sophisticated blend of tomatoes, peppers and spice.  For more ideas of how these Italian peppers can be used in your own home take a peek at the recipes they created for quick and delicious meals.

For that foodie in your life I would highly suggest Rose Romano’s Italian Gourmet Toppings. I call it a sauce but it’s so much more than that.
I Disclose




Food Myths Debunked #fightbac

September 26, 2012 by

I’m a little hesitant when eating leftovers. In my own fridge I only save things for 2-3 days MAX.

MYTH #1: “If I microwave food, the microwaves kill the bacteria, so the food is safe.”

I don’t understand how uneven heating temperatures and hot spots would make someone think that microwaving the crap out of a left over piece of chicken would suddenly make it a safe food product. Keeping your food at proper storage, thawing and cooking temperatures is the best way to start when in comes to keeping your food safe from bacteria and spoiling.

food myths @usdafoodsafety #fightbac

I Disclose




Back to School Snacktime with Snyder’s of Hanover #giveaway

September 5, 2012 by

Back to School is in full swing for the kids but for me I’m getting off to a slow start in the lunch making business. I had all these grand plans of cute bento box style lunches with elaborate pinterest worthy combinations. It’s not happening the way I wanted. You see,  life is more hectic than I imagined with all 3 kids in school. I actually have other stuff to do during the day.

Snyder’s of Hanover came to the rescue with a HUGE Crunch Time selection of delicious and wholesome snacks that I can include in the kids lunches.

Snyder’s of Hanover offers more than 20 different shapes, sizes and flavors of pretzels, perfect for making a new lunchtime childhood memory for your kids or keeping up an old tradition of including pretzels in the mix. Lance offers more than two dozen varieties of wholesome sandwich cracker varieties, baked to perfection with real peanut butter and real cheese to keep hunger at bay right through dinner.

We are already HUGE fans of Lance Toasty Snack Crackers. They are a staple in our pantry and are often the snack tossed in my purse for on the go eating. Shae has discovered Toast Chee the cheese crackers with peanut butter filling. These are my dad’s favorite too.

kids eating lance crackers
So while I haven’t been on my best behavior with packing those fancy lunches for my kids I don’t mind the shortcuts that Snyders of Hanover and Lance offer. I know they are getting something nourishing and filling to get them through the day.

I’m even going to share the gluten free snack bags with Shae’s class. Parents are responsible for provided snacks to share but I realize the struggles some families have to deal with when other peoples choices don’t fit with their child’s diet. I hope my small contribution helps a kid or two feel included.

Share with my your own favorite Snyder’s of Hanover or Lance Crackers snack and be entered to win a Crunch Time package for you and your family.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

To receive these extra opportunities for entries, you must fulfill the first REQUIRED entry above. Please note the changes to the entries and frequency, entries that don’t follow rules may be disregarded/ignored/deleted.

  • Subscribe to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! via email or RSS feed
  • SHARE this giveaway on Facebook: I just entered to win a Back to School package from Snyder’s of Hanover over at LookWhatMomFound..and Dad too! (this update should link back to our Facebook page)
  • Follow Mom & Dad & Snyder’s of Hanover on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway (1 time per day), please leave your twitter link each time, tweet a form of this message: I’m entered to win a @Snyders_Hanover snack package #Giveaway from @lkwhtmomfound @anddadtoo http://bit.ly/RHfTUr 
  • Enter another Giveaway – let us know which one in the comment (one extra entry per giveaway you enter, just leave separate comments)
  • Leave a relevant comment on any other Review/Our Life/Our Travels/Our Thoughts post, let us know where to find it

Your entries must follow the rules or they won’t be eligible for prizes. This contest ends 11:59 pm, Wednesday, September 26, 2012. The winners will be emailed and will have 24 hours to claim their prize. This contest is open to Continental US residents only. For complete rules please read our blog contest rules page.

I Disclose




Pasta with Bacon, Corn and Tomato Recipe

August 24, 2012 by

The kids and I were watching someone on the Food Network make this and we all looked at each other with drool hanging out of our mouths. I knew instantly that this would be a perfect kid friendly recipe to try. The ingredients looked simple enough, there weren’t any difficult steps or tools I needed. I didn’t follow a specific recipe but it had bacon, it had to be good.
recipes with bacon pasta corn tomato

Ingredients

ingredients simple pasta dish
1/4-1/2 lb Slab Bacon (couldn’t find it but found this steak cut bacon instead)
1 cup corn (there was no fresh corn at store so I used frozen roasted corn)
1 cup tomatoes, halved
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
3 tsps chopped garlic
fresh basil (15 leaves)
fresh parley (handful)
pasta shape of choice

Directions

  • Cook pasta according to package directions while cooking everything else. Drain and set aside.
  • Heat large sauté pan on medium heat. Chop bacon to 1/4″ pieces and add to hot pan. Cook till fat is mostly rendered and bacon gets crisp.
  • Do not drain fat, add corn till warmed through.
  • Add garlic and tomatoes and cook until garlic is slightly browned and tomatoes start to soften.
  • Add chopped basil and parsley, salt and pepper to taste then pour everything into pasta pot and stir. Turn on heat to pasta pot if needed to heat pasta through again.
  • Add broth if you desire a saucier dish. 1/4 cup at a time.
steak cut bacon
bacon corn tomato
corn tomato bacon basil

pasta with bacon corn tomato
There was very little of this left over, in fact Rob was hungry the next day because leftovers were barely enough to give him an entire lunch. We think Shae and Sabreena had seconds.

Pancetta would be a good subtitute as well as fresh corn, canned chopped tomatoes and oregano instead of basil.

Let me know what you think of this simple but delicious meal.




Summer Snacking Bagel Sweepstakes

July 28, 2012 by

Who knew summer snacking could win you a great prize?

From June 28 to September 2, the Bagel Snack Star Sweepstakes gives fans a chance to win a red carpet movie experience with their friends and family!
logo new york style bagel chips
Grand Prize: One winner will have the chance to win a private VIP photographed and catered experience at their local movie theater. New York Style will rent out the theater for you to host the ultimate experience with 50 friends. The winner will also receive a gift card for a year supply ($500 worth) of movie tickets.

Entering this sweepstakes is simple. Head over to New York Style Snacks Facebook Page, Like them and just enter your information.

Each summer right before vacation Rob and I head to the grocery store to shop for food and snacks. Since we are always limited on fridgespace in we like to grab snacks that we can throw in the beach or pool bag.

My favorite was always Plain but we were recently sent Roasted Garlic Bagel Crisps and BBQ Mini Bagel Crips. My new favorite flavor is Roasted Garlic…simply cream cheese. I sat by the pool, skipped lunch and ate this combo instead. I loved it and it was a perfect lunch for me.

bagel chips
Pick up your favorite flavor of Bagel Crisps, Mini Bagel Crisp, Pita Chips or Panetini at your local grocery or convenience store. Tell me how you like to eat them, just as they are or with a topping or spread.

“I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of New York Style and received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.”




Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop for Healthy Snacking Giveaway

May 23, 2012 by

Healthy living and eating has taken a key role in our lives recently. Rob and I started running so we have changed the way we cook and snack.

Nutritious fruits and veggies are tops on our list for easy snacking but there is a little obsession I have, popcorn. For as long as I can remember popcorn has been my indulgent snack of choice a couple nights a week. In fact popcorn is my mother’s favorite snack too; it often turns into her dinner on lazy no-desire-to-make-dinner nights. My kids inherited my love of popcorn too. There are many nights that I’m making 2-3 bowls to share while we watch movies.

Since we’ve recently made changes to our diet I’ve had to change my snacking habits; that means cutting back on the “junk food”. Thanks to Mom Central I have been given the chance to try out Orville Redenbacher’s® SmartPop! Gourmet® microwave popcorn.

• 100 calories per 6-cup serving
• 94% Fat Free
• Pops right in its own bowl for sharing (or not)
• 100% Whole Grain
• One serving of Smart Pop offers 2 servings of whole grains

smart pop, healthy snacking, 100 calorie snacks
So while the Smart Pop doesn’t taste exactly like the butter and salt soaked snack I’m used to it IS a great alternative so I don’t have to give up what I love. In fact I’m eating more popcorn and less other snacks (chips, crackers, pretzels)because I don’t have huge guilt with Smart Pop.

Right now Orville Redenbacher wants to give our readers the chance to try popcorn snacking the healthier way. Enter to win one of ten (10) boxes of SmartPop! Gourmet® microwave popcorn. Just tell me your favorite healthy choice snack.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
To receive these extra opportunities for entries, you must fulfill the first REQUIRED entry above. Please note the changes to the entries and frequency, entries that don’t follow rules may be disregarded/ignored/deleted.

  • Subscribe to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! via email or RSS feed
  • SHARE this giveaway on YOUR Facebook wall
  • Like  Orville Redenbacher and LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! on Facebook
  • Follow Mom & Dad on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway (1 time per day), please leave your twitter link each time, tweet a form of this message: Orville Redenbacher Popcorn #Giveaway from @lkwhtmomfound @anddadtoo http://bit.ly/K5hHXO 10 winners
  • Enter another Giveaway – let us know which one in the comment (one extra entry per giveaway you enter, just leave separate comments)
  • Leave a relevant comment on any other Review/Everyday Life/Thoughts post, let us know where to find it

Your entries must follow the rules or they won’t be eligible for prizes. This contest ends 11:59 pm, Wednesday, June 6, 2012. The winners will be emailed and will have 24 hours to claim their prize. This contest is open to Continental US residents only. For complete rules please read our blog contest rules page.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Orville Redenbacher’s. I received an Orville Redenbacher’s SmartPop! product as well as a promotional item as a thanks for my participation.”
I Disclose




Celebrate National Pretzel Day with a Giveaway

April 23, 2012 by

Did you know there is a National Pretzel Day? Snyders of Hanover wants everyone to celebrate with a healthy, salty and crunchy snack not just because they are a leader and innovator in the snacking industry but because they are the makers of some of the most popular snacks around. Just to name a few:

  • Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwiches
  • Olde Tyme Pretzels
  • Honey Wheat Sticks (fave in our home)
  • Honey Mustard and Onion Nibblers
  • Kosher Dill Potato Chips
  • Butter Flavored Popcorn
  • And more….

national pretzel day snyders of hanover pretzel delivery

Stories say the hard pretzel had its beginnings in Pennsylvania. One story tells of a baker’s apprentice who dozed off while baking soft pretzels. The fire in the hearth died down and he awoke with a start, thinking that the pretzels had not been baked long enough. He fired up the furnace again, baking them twice as long as necessary. When the master baker found out, he was outraged at the “ruined” pretzels. Then, out of curiosity he tasted them. To his delight, he discovered they were crisp, crunchy and delicious. What especially pleased him was that the new hard pretzels also retained their freshness much longer.

From no through April 26th, pretzel fans can visit the Share it, Pin it, Tweet it tap on Snyder’s of Hanover Facebook page to share the National Pretzel Day image on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.  Visit the contest for more details.

national pretzel day 2012 snyders of hanover pennsylvania

Celebrate National Pretzel Day along with us and enter to win your own prize pack of Snyder’s of Hanover goodies. Tell me your all time favorite snack.

  • Subscribe to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! via email or RSS feed
  • SHARE this giveaway on YOUR Facebook wall
  • Like Snyders of Hanover and LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! on Facebook
  • Follow Mom & Dad & Snyders of Hanover on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway (1 time per day), please leave your twitter link each time, tweet a form of this message: Celebrate Nat’l Pretzel Day with @Snyders_Hanover #Giveaway from @lkwhtmomfound @anddadtoo http://bit.ly/IEPRhX 
  • Enter another Giveaway – let us know which one in the comment (one extra entry per giveaway you enter, just leave separate comments)
  • Leave a relevant comment on any other Review/Everyday Life/Thoughts post, let us know where to find it

Your entries must follow the rules or they won’t be eligible for prizes. This contest ends 11:59 pm, Monday, May 14, 2012. The winners will be emailed and will have 24 hours to claim their prize. This contest is open to Continental US residents only. For complete rules please read our blog contest rules page.

I Disclose




Meal Planning got easier with @eMeals plus #Giveaway

April 11, 2012 by

I don’t look forward to meal planning. I’m stuck in a rut again with dinner plans and looking at this pile of cookbooks isn’t very inspiring. I deciding to so something about it. I contacted eMeals and asked if they wanted to give me a hand getting my family’s meals in order. They agreed and I’ve been cooking more over the last few weeks.

collection of cookbooks, needs dinner inspiration

Each week eMeals comes up with a meal plan and shopping list for my family. In fact there are several options to choose from within the eMeals database; healthy family meals, portion control, low-carb, low-fat, gluten-free, or vegetarian dishes; and people who shop at Wal-Mart, Kroger, Publix, Whole Foods or any other store and more.


I started off using the WalMart Meal Plan for a Family 3-6. I was able to incorporate a couple options into our dinner plans but realized that there were too many ingredients listed that we wouldn’t eat. I switched the subscription to a Lower Fat version, still shopping at Walmart. The plan was more our style, incorporating fresh food, chicken and soups. I’ve even downloaded and printed the sample menus for all their other options just to get a little inspiration for different ideas, sometimes a recipe title is all I need to whip up something good. While I have been using eMeals as a base starting point for my meal plan I often change ingredients or switch dinners from another week or pull in an old favorite like turkey tacos. I’m not a recipe follower unless its for baked goods. Meals are adjusted based on my family’s likes, ingredients purchased that week and often technical difficulty. I do not like to fuss over meals and side dishes are usually steamed veggies or simply rice and pasta dishes.

emeals menu plas
One meal I have tried and really enjoyed is eMeals Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms. This is a simple sautéed chicken breast meal cooked down with balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic and thyme. The remaining cooking liquid is simmered down with some chicken stock and is really tasty with mashed potatoes and steamed green beans.

Whatever your method is for preparing a meal plan you can only benefit from using eMeals subscription service. Each week you get a 7 day dinner menu and grocery list based on your eating and shopping habits. Simple cooking instructions are included as well as side dish options. I do wish there were some lunch or leftover makeovers so that I was likely to feed my kids something other than sandwiches and mac and cheese.

I think something else that would be a really great addition to the eMeals menu plan is a party planner. Dinner parties, kid’s birthdays, Thanksgiving and even summer bbqs are all centered around food and fun. I’d pay a few dollars to take the guesswork out of what to serve 20 people coming over this weekend.

$35 for a 6 month subscription isn’t a bad deal considering we spend way more than that on one meal out for the family on the nights I haven’t cooked. $35 for a gift subscription to a new mom or mom that just went back to work is something that would be so appreciated you might even get an invitation to dinner.

Dave Ramsey insists eMeals will save you a ton of time and money, it’s a no-brainer. Enter to win your own 3-month subscription to eMeals. Visit eMeals and tell me which meal plan you would choose.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
To receive these extra opportunities for entries, you must fulfill the first REQUIRED entry above. Please note the changes to the entries and frequency, entries that don’t follow rules may be disregarded/ignored/deleted.

  • Subscribe to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! via email or RSS feed
  • SHARE this giveaway on YOUR Facebook wall
  • Like eMeals and LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! on Facebook
  • Follow Mom & Dad & eMeals on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway (1 time per day), please leave your twitter link each time, tweet a form of this message: I’m entering to win a 3month subscription to @eMeals menu planning from @lkwhtmomfound @anddadtoo http://bit.ly/ImFwqo 
  • Repin any eMeals meal that you would like to try from their Pinterest page.
  • Enter another Giveaway – let us know which one in the comment (one extra entry per giveaway you enter, just leave separate comments)
  • Leave a relevant comment on any other Review/Everyday Life/Thoughts post, let us know where to find it

Your entries must follow the rules or they won’t be eligible for prizes. This contest ends 11:59 pm, Wednesday, May 2, 2012. The winners will be emailed and will have 24 hours to claim their prize. This contest is open to Continental US residents only. For complete rules please read our blog contest rules page.

I Disclose




Nutty Vanilla Granola Recipe

March 23, 2012 by

Granola is a staple in my house; it’s eaten for breakfast, snacks and on yogurt. But have you seen the price tag of store bought granola lately? I refuse to spend $5 for a 8oz bag, when this recipe is just as good and quite easy to make. I’m sharing my updated recipe for a simple granola that can easily be adapted for your own own tastes or diet restrictions. You can half this recipe very easily too, we are a family of 5 and this will last about 2 weeks.
homemade granola, big batch of granola, easy homemade granola

  • 1 extra large microwave safe glass bowl,1 large rubber spatula, 2 rimmed baking sheets,parchment paper
  • 2 cups of brown sugar
  • 3/4  cup water
  • 3 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 8 cups of rolled oats
  • 2 cups of chopped nuts of your choice (we used walnuts)
  • 2 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
  • 2 cups of dried fruit of choice (we used raisins and cranberries)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees, line baking sheets with parchment.

In your LARGE glass bowl add water and brown sugar, microwave for 4-6 minutes until sugar has dissolved, stir every 2 minutes

Carefully remove bowl and add vanilla, honey and salt, STIR. Add oats, cinnamon, nuts and coconut, fold evenly until all the oats are coated. Split mixture between 2 baking sheets (do not grease parchment) and bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately mix in dried fruit and place back in oven for 5-7 minutes.  Remove from oven again, let cool for 5 minutes and transfer to tight fitting containers or storage bags.

large batch of granola, homemade granola, granola recipe
Easily add ground flaxseed, wheatgerm, millet or pure maple syrup instead of honey to up the nutritional content. For a more clustered effect, increase the the sugar/water mixture and DON’T blend in the dried fruit; add it after the granola has fully baked and cooled.  Break up the cooled granola and just sprinkle in the fruits of choice.

How do you like your granola? What ingredients would you add?

Enjoy!




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