mamachallenge | Real Solutions for Real Parents | Dallas Blog

Real Solutions for Real Parents by Autumn Rose Reo

Joy to the Meal: Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing Cups

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Take your favorite parts of Thanksgiving and give it a little twist for easier portions and better presentation with these delicious Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing Cups. 

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Hillshire Brands Company. All opinions are entirely my own. #joy2themeal

Growing up having a large extended family had its advantages – especially during the holidays.

Not just because I had four grandmas or double the amount of presents…but because I got to sit down for the holiday meal not just one time, but sometimes up to three or four times a season, per holiday.


Yep, pecan pie is still good after three rounds…

Having this special opportunity wasn’t just about the food of course, but the experience of indulging in several different traditions with those family members and of course, all the unique ways they enjoyed their family dishes.

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Everyone had their own twist on a dish, especially dressing…or stuffing. Whatever you call it, each family had a unique take on if it – from a dense casserole hinted with sage, to more of a smooth creamy blend of cornbread, garlic and sausage.

Best of all, they were all good even though each one had its own flavor profile and “secret ingredient.”  

Unfortunately those traveling meals from one relatives table to another have changed as I’ve grown up and now have a family of my own…I guess you can say I can finally say I’ve moved to the adult table.

But the smells of onion, sage and sausage stuffing baking early in the oven as a child still exist in my mind, my belly and of course, still in my heart.

So paying homage to those family stuffing recipes and adding my own little legacy, I created my own recipe for Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing Cups.

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Since our family table is no longer the size of a football team, a huge dish of stuffing isn’t really necessary. So instead I’ve made the stuffing in a muffin pan for easing serving sizes PLUS this way there’s more golden crust in each bite. Best of all, I’ve paired Jimmy Dean® Sausage with cranberries and apples, for a savory-sweet combination that might make your grandma a little upset when you ask for seconds.

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This recipe also seems to be so much easier than the recipe I remember helping at the table to prepare growing up. With a few basic ingredients and the combination of the smoky pork with the sweetness of the apples and the tang of the cranberries is exactly what Thanksgiving tastes like to me – all in one perfectly sized bite.

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After a quick trip to Walmart for fresh produce and stop by the refrigerated section for Jimmy Dean Sausage, I was toasting up the bits of bread, English muffins and whatever bread I had been holding on to in the freezer in no time.

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It was the smell of the Jimmy Dean Sausage that quickly had my kids running to see what mama was up to and of course, a few minutes later they too were in the kitchen helping me to put together our family stuffing.

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In just 30 minutes, the aroma of sausage, apples and garlic filled my nose and took me back instantly to my childhood memories. But more importantly it helped me realize that now being a mom, it’s my turn to continue those traditions with my kids and make a few of our own.

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So this year, make your holidays go from good to great!

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Sausage & Cranberry Stuffing Cups

  • Author: Autumn Reo of MamaChallenge.com
Print Recipe

Description

A delicious perfectly portion of stuffing with the savory flavor of sausage and sweet tang of cranberry and apples!

Ingredients

Scale
  • Cooking Spray
  • 3 cups of bread, cut into ½ inch cubes
  • ¼ cup of EVOO
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup onion, chopped finely
  • 2/3 cup celery, chopped finely
  • 1 pound Jimmy Dean Sausage (you can use Original or Sage)
  • 3 tablespoons garlic, chopped
  • 1 apple, chopped finely
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ¾ teaspoon fresh sage, shopped (you can may omit if you use the Sage Sausage)
  • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons chicken broth

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin/cupcake pin with cooking spray.
  2. On baking sheet, toss bread cubes with 2 tablespoons of oil, season with salt and pepper. Bake until toasted (around 10 minutes.) Allow to cool slightly and then transfer to a bowl.
  3. In a large skillet, melt butter and oil, then add onion and celery. Cook over high heat, stirring until golden, for around 5-7 minutes. Add the sausage, garlic, sage and cook until sausage is cooked. Add apples and cranberries and allow to soften, but not to cook completely.
  4. Mix sausage mixture, eggs, and broth into croutons. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Pack the stuffing into muffin/cupcake pan with your hands, allowing for a rounded top to sit above the pan’s edge. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Allow to cool for few minutes and then lift the cups out of the pan using a knife.
  6. Serve with your favorite holiday entrée!

Notes

  • These can be served as an appetizer for a holiday party, too!

What’s your favorite holiday dish? Do you eat stuffing or dressing?

Share your love for the holiday meal at #joytothemeal.

And visit http://www.joytothemeal.com for more great recipes to take your holidays from good to great.

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Healthy Thanksgiving: Stuffed Acorn Squash

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Looking for a few new choices to add to your menu for a healthy Thanksgiving table? Consider this easy Stuffed Acorn Squash made with mushrooms Minute® Multi-Grain Medley.

There’s nothing like the feast served at Thanksgiving. While the food might be the centerpiece of the holiday, it’s actually meant to celebrate being thankful for family and friends by spending time together. 

Unfortunately, it’s pretty easy to spend days (and even weeks) planning, preparing and serving the “perfect holiday meal.” But nowadays time is too precious to spend all of it making the food and not enjoying it. And for our family and friends, like most, are too busy to ever get a chance just to say thanks. 


Recently I spent time with a few friends on the behalf of  for a little pre-Thanksgiving lunch to catch up, share recipes and just to say thanks. 

One of the nice things about eating a meal with different people is that you learn a couple of dishes that you might have never thought about or come across like this Apple Harvest Salad with pineapples, apples and cranberries was delicious!

Jennifer King of Soul Dreamer Photography.

While no Thanksgiving goes without broccoli-cheese casserole made with Minute® White Rice, one of my new favorites I discovered at the meal was the Minute® Multi-Grain Medley. It’s a blend of four gluten-free, 100% whole grains, including long grain brown rice, Thai red rice, wild rice and quinoa and cooks in just 10 minutes.  It’s an approachable staple since it cooks quickly, but can still make a typical meal feel special since the whole grains included give it a nice texture and look.

So with my new find, I wanted to put it to work this Thanksgiving – not just because it tastes good, but it’s healthy and easy to make and  I can try to spend more time with my family and not over the stove. 

I love, love, love using squash, especially at this time of the year, so I picked a few at the grocery store and contemplated what in the world I could do with them. Finally, combining my favorite mushrooms and Minute® Multi-Grain Medley as a stuffing for the acorn squash seemed like such an easy side or alternative to stuffing at the Thanksgiving table. And if you have a few folks that are vegetarian or are gluten-free, this stuffed acorn squash is the ideal seasonal side or entree anytime of the year. 

Looking at the Minute® Rice , I also learned that cooking the rice in apple juice was a great way to add a gentle sweetness that would pair with the nutty sweetness of the acorn squash. Adding the earthy flavors of mushrooms and a little parmesan cheese, the flavor is rich without being heavy and totally full of healthy grains at the same time. 

Squash #MinuteMeals

For recipe ideas and special offers from Minute Rice straight sent to your inbox, sign up for

Jennifer King of Soul Dreamer Photography.

Visit for over 400 recipe ideas, great for any day of the week and any time of the day, and more information about the Minute® Rice family of products.

Acorn Squash

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Stuffed Acorn Squash

  • Author: Autumn Reo of MamaChallenge.com
Print Recipe

Description

A healthy and easy alternative to stuffing at the Thanksgiving table or any dinner night entree filled with rice, quinoa and mushrooms.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 acorn squash, halved crosswise, seeded
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 pound mushrooms, trimmed, diced (I like portobellos or crimini)
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped finely
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried sage
  • 2 bags Minute® Multi-Grain Medley
  • 2 cups apple juice
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On baking sheet covered with foil, season inside of squash halves with olive oil, salt and pepper and lay open side down. Cover tightly with foil and roast until tneder, around 30 minutes.
  2. In a medium pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat.
  3. Add mushrooms, onion, and seasonings. Saute until mushrooms are soft, about 7-9 minutes.
  4. Add Minute® Multi-Grain Medley rice and apple juice and bring to a boil.
  5. Cover and reduce heat to low and allow to cook until liquid is absorbed (15-20 minutes.)
  6. Remove squash from oven.
  7. Remove 2 tablespoons of squash meat and stir into the mixture.
  8. Now divided rice mixture almong squash halves, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
  9. Broil until cheese is melted (around 2 minutes.)

 This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Minute® Rice.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Three Steps To a Turkey Touchdown This Thanksgiving

By 5 Comments

Your first turkey dinner doesn’t need to be THAT hard. Make a turkey touchdown this Thanksgiving with these three steps I learned my first Thanksgiving!  

I received a Jennie-O Turkey to help me test-run my first Thanksgiving. I’m sharing my experience here with you to show how easy it is!

Making Thanksgiving dinner seems to be a rite of passage that I had not passed — until this year. With scheduling issues making it impossible for a traditional Turkey Day dinner to be shared by my family, I decided not to just have the day come and go, but to go ahead and celebrate — a week in advance, and I would make it all. I mean the holidays are about spending a special time together not just on one pre-selected day right? 

There was only one little problem with my plan – I had NEVER made a turkey or anything for Thanksgiving. That’s right. I had peeled, mashed and creamed up the potatoes and even warmed up the rolls, but the task of Thanksgiving had never fell on my shoulders. So I made it my goal not just to make a turkey, but a big spread complete with: 

  • Bacon Dressing
  • Homemade rolls 
  • Truffled Mashed Potatoes
  • Blue Cheese Bacon Brussel Sprouts
  • Brown Gravy
  • Spiced Cranberry Sauce
  • and Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Brittle
While the menu was fun to create, it was the fear of that turkey coming out a burnt mess that had me so scared to make! I’ve always heard all these horrible stories about making turkey, but I wanted it to be amazing! 
 
 
So off to the store I went to get the ingredients for my Cilantro-Lime Turkey (a recipe I had found in my Better Homes and Gardens)! 

1) First off, was to pick out my turkey. Oh there were LOTS of turkeys to choose from! Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the Jennie-O Oven ready turkey breast – they were sold out! However, the meat manager at my grocery store was able to find me one last turkey, so it was a good sign that the Jennie-O was in high demand. 

2) Once I got this baby home, I was able to take it straight to the oven after a few special touches! Because it was a turkey breast, the weight of the turkey was less than full-size turkey, making my cooking time a little less than the big birds! And while I could have left it alone with no thawing or seasoning, I decided to add a special Texas touch with favorite seasoning Cilantro, the zesty flavor of lime and a simple marinade of cilantro and honey!  

3) Then I popped it in the oven and 2.5 hours later – behold perfection. Well, almost. We still had to carve it and taste it for the official call. 

<Yep, it was beautiful, it was delicious and juicy! SUCCESS!

please take a look here and many of the other delicious recipes in the November 2013 Better Homes and Gardens!

I can’t recommend the Jennie-O Oven Ready Turkey for your Thanksgiving! And IF you have any left overs then make sure you cook up this Turkey Tortilla Soup to savor it to the last drop! 

 

Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli and Cauliflower Casserole

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I’m thrilled to be partnering with Market Street to highlight features, deals and more each month especially this recipe for Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli and Cauliflower Casserole! #MarketStreetTX

When I was growing up, Sunday dinner was always a special occasion with a big meal like roast, ham or meatloaf with all the fixings. Now as an adult, I try to still make sure Sundays are spent with the family.  And when possible, I try to make the dishes that also mean a lot to me with a few twists of my own.  One of those is this Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli and Cauliflower Casserole. 

Brussels Spout, Broccoli and Cauliflower Casserole

Most people fall into two categories: those who love brussel sprouts and those who hate them. I actually fell into the later group until a few months ago when I fell in love. After a trip to Slowbone BBQ in Dallas, I bit into their sell-out side, Cauliflower-Brussel Sprout Gratin, and couldn’t get enough. But I thought I could make it even better by adding broccoli and more cheese (there’s never such thing as too much cheese) to create my idea of the perfect side dish. So for special days like Thanksgiving or a Sunday dinner, this dish is the consummate side dish that you’ll trade your last dinner role or dessert to have just one more creamy bite.


Butter

It would be fitting that I would get all the ingredients together and forget the most important ingredient, the heavy cream! But no worries, where there is a will, there is a way and a substitute!

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This dish it a combination of creamy cheese, the ultimate trio of veggies and little crunch that will keep you coming back for more…and more.

Casserole

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Brussels Sprout, Broccoli & Cauliflower Casserole

  • Yield: 12 1x
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Description

Inspired by a great recipe at Slow Bone BBQ in Dallas, I added a little something extra with broccoli and white cheddar.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (or heavy cream alternative)
  • 1/3 cup chopped shallots
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
  • 1 medium head of broccoli, trimmed and cut into small (1-inch) florets
  • 1 1 medium head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small (1-inch) florets
  • 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese (divided use)
  • 1 cup white cheddar, cut into small (1-inch) cubes
  • Salt, pepper and white pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  2. Combine cream, shallots and sage in large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brown bread crumbs (about 2 minutes) then transfer to a bowl to cool. Stir in parsley.
  4. Arrange equal mix of of vegetables in the buttered baking dish (13×9 or larger). Then add 1 cup of cubed white cheddar.
  5. Arrange remaining vegetables over the first layer. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
  6. Pour cream mixture evenly over the vegetables.
  7. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
  8. Remove foil from casserole; sprinkle evenly with toasted bread crumbs.
  9. Bake uncovered 15 minutes or until bread crumbs are browned.

Another item you want to make sure you have on the list is the right cookware. There’s just something about pulling whatever you’re making out of the oven and placing it on the table to share with the family as they share conversation over dinner and making memories.  I remember what my grandma’s stuffed peppers smelled liked, taste like and looked like when she lifted the lid off the casserole dish. For this dish, I used both the white 7.9 inch Round Casserole with a lid and the 15.3 inch Rectangular Roaster.

LodgeStoneWear

Family dinners also mean a lot to Market Street, which is why they offer for a limited time a chance to create your own family dinner memories with your own set of great bakeware and cookware from Lodge.  Founded in 1896 by Joseph Lodge, and still owned and managed by the descendants of the Lodge Family, Lodge Manufacturing is one of America’s oldest cookware companies. Right now until January at Market Street you can earn one e-sticker for every qualifying $10 they spend towards your own collection of Lodge Ware. By tracking your e-stickers on your receipt, when you have collected the required number of e-stickers, you can select your desired cookware or bakeware! Just give your Rewards account number to the cashier at checkout to redeem your FREE item.

What a great gift idea as well for the holidays or use the dish to take to a family dinner with every intention to leave it as a thank you gift!

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Not a member of the Market Street Rewards Program? Sign up now to begin collecting your e-stickers online or on your own free Market Street app.

Make an entire meal anytime of the year with these recipe ideas from top bloggers using Lodge Wear available for free from Market Street! 

Celebrate Supper #MarketStreetDFW #Ad

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Sweet Potato Casserole

Green-Bean-Bacon-Casserole-CarrieElle

 Green Bean Casserole

3

 Holiday Main Dish Meatballs

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Easy Taco Soup

4 Ingredient Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

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Summertime means ice cream, but no one wants to spend the day making it! With just a few ingredients, you can make any kind of ice cream! We love this 4 Ingredient Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, but you can make it your way any day.

As shown on Good Morning Texas.

Isn’t it funny that moms spend all that time scoping out Pinterest and creating beautiful meals plans for the family – and don’t normally end up eating any of them?

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With all the pick ups, drop offs, appointments, loads of laundry, and dishes, and making dinner for the family, there’s never really a time to sit down for a meal. It’s always on the way out the door, in the car, or after everyone has gone to sleep. Besides, when’s the last time you tried to eat meatloaf and vegetables with one hand while typing on the computer? 

FiberOneFlavor

So I resort to snacks…thankfully none of them are shaped like fish or dinosaurs. And being that I want to try to make healthy decisions, but still want it to taste good, Fiber One Bars to the rescue. Whether I’m in need of some protein, a middle-of-the-day snack, or a sweet treat, there are several options with added fiber to keep my taste buds and digestive system in check. Having these buried in a bag, drawer, or the back of the pantry (away from my kids’ little fingers), has saved me many times from not just going hungry, but making sure I don’t head for something that I’ll regret again and again later. 

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When you bite into one, you never would think that you can get a box of something this good and for only around $3 a box at Walmart!

Fiber One

Full of fiber and flavor, Fiber One bars make a good choice for any time of the day (especially when you’re trying to get things done!) 

Easy, No Churn 4 Ingredient Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

But with summer in full swing, there’s nothing better than a deliciously sweet bowl of dreamy creamy ice cream. So taking the best of both worlds of strawberry cheesecake and ice cream, here’s an easy recipe for 4 ingredient strawberry cheesecake ice cream that will have you looking forward to #snaccidents again and again. And with only 4 ingredients and almost no work (you don’t even need an ice cream maker.) 

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While you do use whipping cream for this summerific treat, choose a lowfat/nonfat condensed milk. Using strawberry pie filling also helps to make this ice cream next level, fresh or frozen strawberries can be substituted if you want to add more fruit and less sweetness. With just a few hours, in the freezer, your #snaccident can be transformed into a life-changing snack experience. 

FiberOneFlavor

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4 Ingredient Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

  • Author: Autumn Reo of mamachallenge.com
Print Recipe

Description

An easy recipe for strawberry cheesecake ice cream with four ingredients featuring Fiber One Bars.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • 1 can low fat condensed milk (14 oz)
  • 1 cup strawberry pie filling, 1 half can
  • 1–2 Fiber One Strawberry Cheesecake Bars, crumbled

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Don’t miss this #mamachallenge moment: 

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Turkey Cranberry Panini with Brie and Basil Mayo

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This shop has been compensated by Inmar Intelligence and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HolidaysWithSaraLee

Want a sandwich that will make you say thanks? Put those Thanksgiving leftovers to work with this Turkey Cranberry Panini with Brie and Basil Mayo.

I may be going on a limb here, but when it comes to Thanksgiving, it’s not the big feast that I’m looking forward to – it’s the leftovers. I love the part about getting together, the tablescape, and the smell of turkey roasting in the oven. But honestly, it’s when you’ve had the best day with family and friends being thankful and then quietly, after hours (like after everyone has gone to bed), pulling out all your favorites dishes from Thanksgiving to create the best.sandwich.ever. that really makes that day complete.

Sara-Lee-Thanksgiving (5 of 20)


If you’ve ever seen Spanglish where Adam Sandler plays a chef and comes home after the longest day and makes the most perfect fried egg sandwich? Well it’s that moment when he takes a big exhale that you know exactly what I mean. It makes me relaxed just thinking about it.

There’s just something about a sandwich.

Sara-Lee-Thanksgiving (19 of 20)

You know exactly that moment when you bite into that perfect sandwich…ahhhh.

But you know what else there is?

A sandwich that is made with good bread that takes it from wow to WHOA. Even better is a bread for me that has 8 grams of whole grains per 2 slice serving and is high in fiber……and has 45 calories per slice (serving size 2 slices 90 calories) and 6 grams of net carbs per slice (12 net carbs per 2 slice serving). Yes – that means it is Keto-friendly! Plus, with no artificial flavors, 0g trans fat, no high fructose corn syrup and a cholesterol-free food, this bread hits all the checkmarks!

Sara Lee ® Delightful™ White Made with Whole Grain Bread is what to be thankful for and Walmart for being the place to find it! Right now earn $.65 cash back on with Ibotta.

Sara-Lee-Thanksgiving

Click the image below to add it right to your Walmart Online Grocery cart.

Now we have the bread, it’s the other simple items you’ll find in your fridge after Thanksgiving that you need for what I call the perfect Thanksgiving sandwich:

  • Turkey (there’s always turkey to eat after dinner!)
  • Brie Cheese (leftover from that charcuterie board)
  • Cranberry Sauce (someone wanted it on the table right?)
  • Fresh Basil (leftover from the stuffing or dressing)
  • Mayonnaise (staple!)
  • And of course that Sara Lee ® Delightful™ White Made with Whole Grain Bread

Now the trick here is mayonnaise.

Sara-Lee (8 of 20)

You could make the mayonnaise from scratch (which I highly suggest), or like me, when you’re enjoying this Turkey Day sandwich after hours, you want to make it quick and quiet (as possible.) So take the shortcut of making up the basil mayo by mixing mayonnaise with some basil leaves in the food processor. Then you slather that stuff on both sides of the bread! YES, both sides! So now you have flavor and you have the secret to making a golden, toasted sandwich. And if you happen to have some extra basil, add a few leaves to add some green to the sandwich, but this is just another option if you love basil as much as I do.

Sara-Lee-Thanksgiving (10 of 20)

As for taking it to the next level as a panini, you don’t necessarily have to have a panini maker or panini press. You can just apply pressure to the bread with a wooden spatula while it cooks and think about all the things you’re thankful for. Then flip it over and repeat.

Sara-Lee-Thanksgiving (16 of 20)

Turkey Cranberry Panini with Brie and Basil Mayo

Ingredients

2 slices, Sara Lee ® Delightful ™ White Made with Whole Grain Bread

Turkey, sliced (enough for your sandwich, either light or dark meat)

2-3 ounces Brie Cheese

Cranberry Sauce (1-2 tablespoons depending on your preference – I love it!)

¼ c. Fresh Basil, pureed

¼ c. Mayonnaise

Directions

First to create the Basil Mayonnaise, mix fresh basil and mayonnaise together until blended.

Then spread the mayonnaise mixture on both sides of the bread.

Next over medium heat, add both pieces of bread to the pan. Meanwhile on one side of the toast, add all the ingredients as you would starting with turkey, cheese, and cranberry sauce.

When both sides are golden, then add the top slice of bread to the other side to make it a sandwich. If you’re making a panini, this is when you will apply the press or use a wooden spatula to press the bread together. (It’s perfect when you see the cheese gets nice and melted.)

Now this is a sandwich to be thankful for!

Garlic and Herb Stuffed Mushrooms

By 30 Comments

The holidays may bring opportunities for fancy dinners and cocktail parties, but it’s the impromptu moments that sometimes mean the most like these easy Garlic and Herb Stuffed Mushrooms.

During the holidays, you always be prepared with a shortlist of simple and quick go-to recipes like these mushrooms stuffed with Boursin® cheese to earn you the reputation as the holiday hostess with the mostess – even if you didn’t put forth much effort!

Basil-Mushrooms

I love that the holidays remind us to spending together. It’s so easy all year long to let everything get in the way, but at least between rolling out the first big orange pumpkin until the Big Ball drops on January 1, we try to make time to say hello, catch up and give that much-needed hug.


Wine

While you can’t always be ready with a fridge full of perfect appetizers ready to go, having a few staples around will make your guests think you’ve been slaving away for hours before they showed up! Check out the Walmart deli and produce areas for meats and cheeses like Boursin® to create a cheese plate and these Garlic and Herb Stuffed Mushrooms (that have less than five ingredients) paired with a good wine for a beautiful and delicious presentation to be proud to your own! 

ingredients

The feature of the Garlic and Herb stuffed mushrooms is creamy Boursin®  cheese. Seasoned with garlic and fine herbs wrapped in its signature foil, it’s hard not to devour this rich, but airy cheese before it’s stuffed into the mushrooms (just remember to buy two – one to nibble, one to use for the recipe.)

mushrooms

Because there’s already the great flavor of herbs and garlic, the cheese doesn’t need anything extra added to the filling. However, I added a few leaves of fresh basil chopped finely to just add a little more color to the mixture, but in a fix, you don’t have to worry about herbs. Lastly, topped with shredded Parmesan cheese and baked in the oven, you’ll have a sinfully decadent bite-sized app in just about 25-30 minutes.

Now just be ready for the rich smell of garlic that will take over your kitchen…it’s heavenly! 

boursin-cheese

For another quick app that will wow your gifts, make sure you always have veggies, breads and crackers around, especially during the holidays. You can present a serious spread by just pan frying a few slices of bread with butter then spreading a little Boursin®  Monterey Jack & Spicy Pepper Cheese Dip on the top.

Boursin-Dip

Or for a little healthier spin, stuff some of the creamy spread in celery sticks. Two apps in about two minutes (okay, maybe five), you’re ready to enjoy a little time to catch up with you eat up! 

Mushroom-Bite

You can try other recipes with Boursin® on its holiday resource www.boursinpartytricks.com.

Pinterest-Boursin

 

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Garlic and Herb Stuffed Mushrooms

  • Author: Autumn Reo of mamachallenge.com
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 25
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
Print Recipe

Description

A quick and easy yet impressive appetizer perfect for last-minute hospitality.

Ingredients

Scale
  • Cooking Spray
  • 1 package whole mushrooms (white or portobellos)
  • 1 package Boursin® cheese
  • 2–3 basil leaves, chopped finely (optional)
  • 2 tablespoon parmesan cheese, shredded

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spray pan with cooking spray.
  3. Remove mushrooms steps from the caps. Chop stems finely.
  4. Combine chopped mushrooms, chopped basil and Boursin® cheese in a bowl until filly blended.
  5. Add mixture to mushroom caps until full and rounded.
  6. Place all the mushrooms in pan and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
  7. Bake mushrooms for 25-30 minutes until golden.
  8. When done, remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes and serve!

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 10
  • Calories: 97
  • Sugar: 0
  • Sodium: 158
  • Fat: 8
  • Saturated Fat: 5
  • Unsaturated Fat: 2
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 1
  • Protein: 6
  • Cholesterol: 25

Scents of the Holidays: Apple Cinnamon Cheer™ Cake

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GladeHolidayMood #Collective Bias #Ad

Depending on what time of the year you come to my house, there’s a delicious smell that takes you over as soon as you open the door.

At the holidays it’s the absolute best with aromas of fresh baked cookies right out of the oven or hot, simmering apple cider.


Apple-Cinnamon-Cake-#GladeHolidayMood

Unfortunately, I’m not normally hard at work in the kitchen, although I want you to think so.

However, there’s nothing better at this time of the year and to give you that warm and fuzzy feeling than a smell that reminds you of good memories with friends and family.

According to a recent study, the connection between the amygdala, which process emotions, and your olfactory glands will spark nostalgic experiences.

Remember when you hosted the cookie exchange with all your girlfriends and you bit into the best cookie ever?

Or the year you all spent hours making the gingerbread house, but ran out of the candy before you were done with the roof?

Then there was the time you spent hours decorating the tree to the sounds of Michael Buble until after midnight in your sweats?

While this time of the year is also the busiest with work, decorating the house for the holidays, and Christmas shopping and of course, Christmas cooking, you don’t need to be so entrenched that you don’t spend time enjoying the point of the season, spending it with loved ones.

So when someone drops by or you want to at least LOOK like you’ve been slaving for hours over the stove, here’s a super recipe that smells like Christmas, looks like Christmas and even tastes like Christmas. For me Christmas smells like a mix of juicy apples, spicy cinnamon and hints of vanilla.

Don’t you just wish you could taste it?

You can!

Slice-Apple-Cinnamon-Cake#GladeHolidayMood

Print
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Apple Cinnamon Cheer™ Cake

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup apples (one kind or various), peeled, cored and diced
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup sugar + 1 Tablespoon
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup pecans

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Sprinkle the baking soda and 1 Tbsp. sugar over the apples and set aside.
  3. In a bowl, thoroughly blend the two sugars together.
  4. Next, add the cinnamon, cloves, flour and pecans to make the sugar mixture.
  5. Then stir in the eggs, vanilla, and butter.
  6. Pour into a greased 13 X 9 pan and bake for 40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Serve with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce or by itself.

Apple-Cinnamon-Cheer-Cake#GladeHolidayMood#Cbias#Ad

With Glade’s® Limited Edition Winter Collection, you can celebrate the season with these holiday fragrances that I found at Kroger. For my Apple Cinnamon Cheer™ Cake, I was inspired by Glade’s® Apple Cinnamon Cheer. Finally, with this recipe you can actually taste what Apple Cinnamon Cheer™ tastes like.

GladeAppleCinnamonCheer-#GladHolidayMood#CBias#Sp

Available as candles, wax melts, premium aerosols and PlugIns®, you can have your winter fragrance how you want it, any way you want it throughout the season.

Glade-Apple-Cinnamon-Cheer-Display-#GladHolidayMood#CBias#Sp

Sparkling Spruce™

Feel the snow crunch under your boots as you join your friends for the tree lighting in the town square. Hints of frosty pine and evergreen fragrance fill the air, along with a wonderful sense of anticipation.

Hints of: Green Pine Needle, Spruce, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Cedar Leaf, and Patchouli.

Merry Citrus Melody

The annual holiday pageant offers one of the season’s many highlights. Gather with friends and family to sing songs of good cheer and share the most cherished music of the season.

Hints of: Mandarin, Aldehyde Snowflakes, Clove, Golden Amber, Frankincense, and Myrrh.

Apple Cinnamon Cheer™

Fill your cup with holiday cheer! Cinnamon-kissed hot apple cider warms you, body and soul, as you take an exhilarating sled ride across new-fallen snow.

Hints of: Apple Cider, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Clove, Vanilla, Cream and Woods.

Frosted Cookie Party™

Delightfully decorated treats are the order of the day at the yearly cookie exchange. The air is rich with wholesome baked aromas, along with laughter and cheerful conversations with your closest friends.

Hints of: Vanilla Bean, Whipped Icing, Toasted Marshmallow, Layered Cake and Spice.

Gingerbread Jingle™

If there’s ever a time to indulge, it’s at the holiday bake sale. Everyone’s brought wonderful recipes of baked family favorites, and the sweet scent of gingerbread greets you at every turn.

Hints of:  Candied Ginger, Nutmeg, Black Cardamom, Cinnamon, Marzipan, Hazelnut, Brown Sugar, Gingerbread and Warm Molasses.

Mocha & Chestnuts

The sights and sounds of the holiday market treat your senses to pure holiday magic. Take a stroll through snow-blanketed booths filled with handcrafted toys, fresh roasted chestnuts and chocolate creations.

Hints of:  Mocha, Cardamom, Buttermilk, Caramel Toffee, Almond, Nutmeg, Gingerbread, Powdered Sugar, Vanilla, Cinnamon and Bread Pudding.

Hot Cocoa & Mint

A spin around the local ice rink becomes an afternoon of frosty family fun. And the perfect way to finish it off? Warm up to a mug of rich, hot cocoa with a delightful hint of mint.

Hints;  Peppermint, Crisp Spearmint, Cocoa, Pine, Marshmallow, Dark Chocolate, Coconut, Sugar and Candy Cane.

Under the Mistletoe

One of the sweetest sensations of the season—snuggling up closely with your sweetheart. Steal a kiss under the mistletoe, as the scent of fresh berries treats you to an unforgettable holiday memory.

Hints of:  Sugared Strawberries, Cherry, Pink Grapefruit, Cranberry, Raspberry and Garland Greens.

Apple-Cinnamon-Cheer-Cake #GladeHolidayMood#Cbias#Ad

What Glade® Winter Collection fragrance sounds perfect for your holiday?

Celebrating Day of the Dead with A Dia de Los Muertos Hershey Sugar Skull Candy Tray

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Celebrate Day of the Dead by creating this Día de Muertos Hershey Sugar Skull Candy Tray to celebrate time together with this sweet treat.

This shop has been compensated by Inmar Intelligence and The Hershey Company. All opinions are mine alone. #HersheysSkull 

Día de Muertos is one of my favorite times of the year. There is such beauty in the event including the cultural roots of honoring and memorializing family members who have passed with a celebration with other loved ones filled with color, prayer, and delicious foods.

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After traveling to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico during Día de Muertos a few years ago, I really began to truly appreciate and understand the real meaning of the holiday which spans, November 1 – November 2. The entire community was engrossed in visiting each altar that contained photos and beautiful offerings and leaving gifts of pan de muerto and other treats.

So now each year our family makes it a point to spend the days together thinking of the memories of those that have left us. And if possible traveling to other cities that embrace Day of the Dead like Terlingua, Texas and last year, Dallas, Texas with a parade and festival, each unique and special in its own way. This is also important to me since my children often don’t have the opportunity to embrace their own Hispanic heritage and really to experience the strength in numbers and their culture.

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This year we’ll be spending Día de Muertos at home and what a great way to enjoy the two day event with this Día de Muertos Hershey Sugar Skull Candy Tray filled with Hershey chocolates and assorted candies. Not only does it serve as a fun and festive treat to share, but gives us an opportunity to sit down together as a family as we prepare the tray and talk about our favorite memories of our loved ones, past and present.

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Dia de Los Muertos Hershey Sugar Skull Candy Tray Tutorial

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We bought all of the candy at our local HEB!

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HELPFUL TIP: Using both wrapped and unwrapped candies allows any guests to easily grab a treat without taking away from your beautiful tray!

We hope you enjoyed making this Día de Muertos Hershey Sugar Skull Candy Tray as much as we did. We loved creating the design and choosing each piece of candy to bring the skull alive. The hardest part of this is eating it, so make sure to save a few pieces to enjoy along the way, too!

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Dia de Los Muertos Hershey Sugar Skull Candy Tray mamachallenge

Cancer Free Texas: HPV and Cancer Prevention

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HPV affects 8 out of 10 people. If you could prevent it or more health issues would you do it? Here’s what we learned about the HPV vaccine and cancer prevention.

This is made possible with support from the American Cancer Society. All opinions are my own. 

Being a mom is hard, especially when making choices about your child’s health! It’s a game of balance: weighing the options—what they need, what they don’t, and how it will affect them in the long run.

HPV


When my son was born with a Congenital Heart Defect, I had to immediately make decisions that would affect him for his whole life, including surgeries, scars, and so much more. 

I aged ten years in those three weeks. 

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Thankfully, now he’s 12, and like all parents, I’m faced with a whole new set of decisions to make for him about his health. While I know there are no guarantees, I’ll do whatever I can to ensure he has an opportunity to live his life as healthy as possible.

So when my pediatrician discussed with me that there is a way to help prevent six different types of cancer with the HPV vaccination, I wanted to know more. 

According to the American Cancer Society: 

  • It’s estimated 8 out of 10 people will get HPV at some point in their lives.
  • HPV isn’t just a “girl thing.” Every year in the U.S, 35,000 men and women are diagnosed with a cancer caused by HPV.
  • About 14 million people, including teens, become infected with HPV annually.
  • HPV has no treatment, but a vaccine can prevent it.
    The HPV vaccination is considered most effective when given to kids ages 9 – 12.
  • While it’s not the answer for everything, the HPV vaccination is cancer prevention and can prevent an estimated 90% of HPV cancers. 

HPV

As much as he’s already gone through, and all the other things in life I can’t plan for, this was one thing we could do to better his chances at avoiding so much more like HPV and cancer. So for us, it was the best decision for him, and soon it will be the best decision for my daughter.

Get the facts about HPV and cancer from the American Cancer Society.

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