Are you gearing up for the big game?  What’s a Super Bowl party without guacamole?  If you’re looking for new recipe ideas, the Chilean Avocado Importers Association (CAIA) wants to help!  They are giving away a free e-cookbook simply for “liking” Chilean Avocados on facebook.  You’ll also be entered to win a $1000 gift card! So check out CAIA on Facebook, click “like” and enter your email address for a chance to win that $1,000 bucks!

Chilean Avocados are currently in season and perfect for making guacamole and other party foods.  I found a super easy guacamole recipe via @GuacamoleU at recipe.com:

• 2  large  ripe avocados

• 1  tablespoon  lime juice

• 1  plum  (Roma) tomato, chopped

• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

• 1/4  teaspoon  salt (for added texture, try sea salt)

• Dash  ground red pepper (cayenne)

Directions:

1. Cut each avocado in half lengthwise around pit. Twist halves in opposite directions to separate. Place avocado half with pit on countertop. Hit pit with sharp edge of knife. Grasp avocado half; twist knife to loosen and remove pit. Scoop avocado flesh with spoon into medium bowl. Coarsely mash avocados with fork.

This is a sponsored post.  See Mommies With Cents disclosure policy for more details.

Inspired by Cassie Green from Green Grocer Chicago, I decided to try to get my kids to eat some greens via a smoothie.  It was much easier than I expected it to be.  There are a few factors I think played to my favor:

1. My son’s favorite color is green so I got him excited about trying a GREEN smoothie
2. Nothing has ever come out of our blender that didn’t taste good
3. They saw many of their favorite things go INTO the blender

I love making smoothies because you don’t have to have a recipe — you just go with whatever you want that you think will taste good.  I used:

• About 2 Cups peaches
• 3/4 Cup or so of vanilla yogurt
• About a cup of fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 Tbsp Vanilla Shaklee Soy protein powder
• 1 Tbsp Whole grain SalbaSmart

All three of my kids drank it and asked for more.  Of course, I had some too and couldn’t taste the spinach at all.  The HealthMaster LivingWell blender tends to get put away during the winter because it’s pretty large and takes up a lot of counter space that I don’t have much of to begin with.  I don’t usually dig it out until summer but I think I’m going to have to find some permanent counter space for it now.  My kids aren’t big veggie eaters so this is a great way to get in some nutrients either as a snack, or a breakfast drink.  Tomorrow we are going to try chocolate peanut butter banana smoothies with spinach (!) for breakfast.  Sounds pretty gross but I have a feeling it’ll be a hit. (update: these were even better than the peach smoothies— 1 banana, 1 cup spinach, 3 Tbsp Shaklee Chocolate Soy Protein, 2 Tbsp peanut butter, milk, ice)

Sometimes half the battle is getting your kids to try something new.  I’m lucky that my kids didn’t even question the odd color of the smoothie.  This isn’t normally the case.  They aren’t very adventurous when it comes to eating.  Most of the time it takes begging, pleading, bribing or worse.  Its really frustrating because I wouldn’t even try to get my kids to eat something that I know they wouldn’t like (like something spicy).  I might ask them to try something but I wouldn’t push the issue if it wasn’t something I thought they’d actually like if they gave it a chance.

How do you get your kids to eat healthy?  I think this is an issue a lot of moms struggle with, some more than others.  I’m not a particularly healthy eater myself which makes it more of a challenge to set a good example.  I’m going to have to get more creative as I don’t want my children to live solely off chicken nuggets.  The smoothie trick is a step in the right direction!

Each week Dinner @ 6 will highlight a recipe using just 6 ingredients that was submitted by a reader. This week’s recipe was submitted by Ashley:

Ham & Cheese Casserole

* 1 (32 ounce) package frozen hash browns
* 8 ounces sour cream
* 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
* 1/4 cup butter, melted
* 12 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
* 2 cups chopped cooked ham

1. Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl.

2. Press into 13 x 9 2 inch casserole.

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour or until potatoes in center of casserole are tender.

Be sure to check out previous weeks for more recipes!

Can a smoothie make you a better person?  Cassie Green from Green Grocer Chicago thinks so!  I tend to agree.  Starting your day off with a healthy breakfast smoothie can give you energy and ward off hunger.  I know that I can be really grumpy when I’m tired or hungry so a smoothie like the one Cassie calls “You Make Me A Better Person” can definitely do just that.

I love smoothies and have been wanting ideas on how to make healthy yet delicious smoothies for myself as well as my children. Cassie demonstrated the Kenmore Elite blender with her favorite smoothie recipe. Then the audience got to make suggestions from a variety of ingredients to create a second smoothie. We were able to sample both of them and I was very surprised by the results. Despite the interesting ingredients, both of them had good flavor and I think I could even get my kids to drink them. Cassie suggests a basic formula for building a smoothie:

• 2 cups fruit (Carrie suggests using cucumber as well if you prefer something a little less sweet)
• 1 cup greens (kale, collard greens, spinach, avocado, fresh mint and lettuce work well)
• 1 cup liquid (water, milk, soy milk, almond milk, hemp milk etc.)
• 1 tsp maca
• 1Tbs chia seeds
• ½ cup ice

The following is the recipe for “You Make Me a Better Person” which Cassie says gives you sustained energy throughout your day.

You Make Me a Better Person
½ cup organic raspberries
½ cup strawberries
½ a tangelo peeled
1 cup kale (about 4 leaves)
1 Tbs chia seeds
1 tsp maca
a few sprigs of fresh mint
½ cup ice

Cassie advises to always add your liquids to the blender first, then the rest of your ingredients. Blend until desired consistency. This smoothie does have a bit of texture but the flavor was awesome.

Wonder what concoction the audience conjured up? Our smoothie consisted of:

Almond milk
1 tsp cocoa powder
avocado
banana
kale
maca

Interesting, right? This one was surprisingly good as well! This demonstration has given me the inspiration to branch out and try different things beyond the typical fruit smoothie. What’s your favorite smoothie recipe? Do you sneak anything healthy into it?

You’ll need a blender to make a smoothie.  Consider the Kenmore Elite Blender (pictured above):

When I think of blenders, the first thing that comes to mind is smoothies. While I love a good smoothie, blenders are also great for making stews, sauces and more.  The Kenmore Elite Blender features a tempered glass jar with an extra large serving capacity that holds up to 56 ounces.  It sits atop a sturdy base with no-slip feet.  The flush, easy to wipe down one-touch buttons include start, stop, and pause operations.  Five different speeds allow for different functions: stir, chop, mix, puree, and liquefy.  An LCD display indicates blending time for recipes that call for precise blending.  The molded lid includes a 2 oz measuring cup built in.  It can be removed for measuring and adding ingredients through the hole without removing the lid from the jar.  The Kenmore Elite Blender features 900 watts of power and retails for around $100.

Kenmore provided travel expenses for me to visit the Kenmore Live Studio in Chicago and learn more about their brand and products however all opinions are my own.  I received a complimentary product as a gift. I was not compensated in any other way. See Mommies With Cents disclosure policy for more details.

Last year I made homemade peppermint Oreos for the first time.  I liked them so much, I think they’ll be a holiday staple (but I’ll likely make them a few times throughout the year as well).  I’m a sucker for the chocolate/peppermint combo, besides — these are super easy to make:

2 boxes Devil’s Food Cake Mix
4 eggs
2/3 cup oil

Mix together all ingredients.  Roll into 1″ balls and place 1″ apart on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Press them down a bit with your fingertips.  Bake for 8-10 minutes in oven preheated to 350 degrees.  Remove from oven and move cookies to a cooling rack to cool.

Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese (one box) softened
1 cube of butter softened
1 box of powdered sugar (1 lb)
1-2 Tbs milk
peppermint extract

Cream butter and cream cheese together.  Alternate adding powdered sugar and milk until smooth.  Add peppermint extract to taste (1 tsp is a good start).

Frost the bottom of one cookie and top with another squeezing frosting to the edges.  Sprinkle with Christmas sprinkles for a festive touch.

I usually get lazy and make these cookies way too big.  They come out better (read: prettier) when you make them closer to the size of an Oreo but taste just as good any size!

What are your holiday favorites?  If you’ve got an easy recipe, I’d love it if you shared!

While most crib sets come with matching crib bumpers, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against their use due to the risk of SIDS.  HALO innovations just introduced it’s Safe Sleep Crib Set to create a safe sleeping environment for babies.  The sets includes a HALO SleepSack wearable blanket, a SleepSack Swaddle, 2 coordinating soft cotton jersey crib sheets and a matching crib skirt.

Halo Safe Sleep Crib Sets are the perfect alternative to traditional crib sets as far as safety is concerned.  You’ll still get the stylish and coordinating pieces and as an added bonus, you’ll have the peace of mind that your new baby will be sleeping comfortably in the safest way possible.

The new HALO Safe Sleep Crib Set will be available in stores in January 2012 and comes in six patterns including pink, blue and neutral tones.

Feeling lucky?  Enter to win a HALO SleepSack by filling out the form below.

Also, be sure to check out all of our other giveaways. NOTE: if you are having trouble with the mandatory entry on the form below, click “I did this” first. Then the form will pop up to enter your info. If you don’t leave your address, I won’t have a way to get your prize to you. If you need more guidance, you can watch this video on how to enter Rafflecopter giveaways.

This giveaway is open until December 22, 2011 at 12:01 am CST to U.S residents.

Please leave your name, address, email and answers to the questions (if any) in the form below. This is required for initial entry. Extra entries are optional. For more information on how to enter our giveaways, please see our contest guidelines page. There you’ll find options for extra entries, rules, etc.

Your information is confidential and used for contacting the winner and prize fulfillment purposes only.

A complimentary product/service was provided for this review, however, all opinions expressed are my own.  I was not compensated in any other way.  See Mommies With Cents disclosure policy for more details.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This weekend I made Cookie Dough Truffles for my daughter’s 3rd birthday party.  These truffles are fun for any occasion and you can change them up to suit your needs.  Last year I made some for Christmas with red, green & white sprinkles.  They fit perfectly into mini muffin papers. These aren’t hard to make and they are sure to be a hit!  Package a few in a cute box tied with a pretty ribbon for a very inexpensive, yet yummy and thoughtful gift!

COOKIE DOUGH

2 1/2 C flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Beat butter and sugar.  Add milk and vanilla.  Stir in remaining ingredients until dough forms.  Chill in refrigerator for one hour.  Roll into 1″ or so balls and freeze for an hour or two.

To make these little gems into truffles, first you’ll need to melt a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips in a double broiler if you have one.  I just melt them at 50% power in the microwave, stirring frequently or very carefully in a pot on the stove.  Use a toothpick to dip each cookie dough ball into the chocolate, coating it completely.  Let the excess drip off then set on a wax paper lined surface.  For a festive touch, add candy sprinkles before the chocolate sets.  Repeat until all of your dough balls have been coated. You may have to return the dough balls to the freezer if they start to get too soft.  After the chocolate has set, twist and remove the toothpicks.

I did one batch with melted semi-sweet chocolate chips and one batch using chocolate candy melts.  The candy melts were a lot easier to use because they stayed fluid longer and I didn’t have to keep trying to heat them back up like I did with the chocolate chips.  A friend suggested adding a little bit of shortening to the chocolate chips which I think would work great but haven’t tried myself.  Whatever you do though, DO NOT add milk!  It WILL NOT make a smoother chocolate sauce.  It will do the exact opposite! (I know, I’ve tried it!)

Store the truffles in the refrigerator (or freezer for longer storage).

Only 12 days until Christmas! Click HERE for more Countdown to Christmas Deals.

Raise your hand if you’d like to spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your family? I’m not much of a cook so I always welcome anything that will make my life easier in that department.  Schwan’s always comes through.  You’d never guess that these meals came from the freezer.  In fact, most of the Schwan’s meals if tried actually taste like homemade!  Just this week we tried the  Mini Beef Pot Roast which was recently added to Schwan’s extensive LiveSmart line of delicious, better-for-you food.  All I had to do was boil the four sealed packets for around 15 minutes.  I made some mashed potatoes and added a veggie side dish and it was the perfect & fast meal.  I’m personally not a big fan of pot roast but my husband likes it so we only have it on occasion.  I was pleasantly surprised with the flavor and texture of this dish.  The meat was extremely tender, just how it should be.  While not my favorite, it was still quite an enjoyable meal!

Here are a few other items from  Schwan’s Home Service that are great to have on hand  when you want don’t want to spend much time in the kitchen:

Chicken Alfredo Bianco Flatbread Thin Crust Pizza — “A flatbread thin crust pizza with grilled white meat chicken, roasted red peppers, black olives, spinach, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, creamy alfredo sauce and a savory herb blend. This flavor bursting pizza works great as a meal or as an appetizer.”

Chicken Vegetable Soup with Multigrain Dinner Rolls — “Our version of the classic Chicken Vegetable Soup allows you to tailor to your family’s delight. We offer a soup base loaded with chicken and vegetables. Your choice to finish by adding water, milk, cream, broth or tomatoes. In addition we offer an accompaniment of seven dinner rolls which help complete the meal.”

Neither of these work as a meal for my family of 5 but they do make a great lunch or a dinner for myself and the kids if my Hubs will be away during dinner time.  I love that the soup comes with dinner rolls making it a complete meal!  The pizza would be perfect as an appetizer cut into small pieces and put on a serving platter.

After sampling a variety of Schwan’s products I don’t know why I’m always still surprised at the quality and taste of them.  They always exceed my expectations in every way from ease of preparation to texture and flavor.  Schwan’s gets it right every time. Now if only they’d bring back the Monkeying Around Banana Ice Cream…

Feeling lucky?  Enter to win the three products featured here by filling out the form below.

Also, be sure to check out all of our other giveaways. NOTE: if you are having trouble with the mandatory entry on the form below, click “I did this” first. Then the form will pop up to enter your info. If you don’t leave your address, I won’t have a way to get your prize to you. If you need more guidance, you can watch this video on how to enter Rafflecopter giveaways.

This giveaway is open until December 16, 2011 at 12:01 am EST to U.S residents.

Please leave your name, address, email and answers to the questions (if any) in the form below. This is required for initial entry. Extra entries are optional. For more information on how to enter our giveaways, please see our contest guidelines page. There you’ll find options for extra entries, rules, etc.

Your information is confidential and used for contacting the winner and prize fulfillment purposes only.

A complimentary product/service was provided for this review, however, all opinions expressed are my own.  I was not compensated in any other way.  See Mommies With Cents disclosure policy for more details.

Today I made Chicken Corn Chowder in the Crockpot.  I love being able to smell dinner cooking all day and looking forward to just dishing up rather than cooking.  This is the first time I made this recipe which I found at Cooking with Sugar.  There are some changes that I’ll probably make next time which I’ll note below.  Here’s how I made it today:

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

• 8 boneless skinless chicken tenders cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3 cups frozen whole kernel corn
• 3 large new potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 small onion chopped
• 3 carrots chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 packages (3oz) cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 2 cups milk
• 1 can (4.5oz) chopped green chiles
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• Salt and pepper to taste

I love how colorful it is!

Directions:

Chop all of your veggies and toss all of the ingredients except the whipping cream & corn starch into the Crockpot.  Cook on high for about 4 hours or low for around 8.  Once everything has cooked and the potatoes are tender, whisk the corn starch and whipping cream together, add to the Crockpot and stir to mix.  Cook another 15 minutes or so.

I tend to “garnish” everything with cheese but you can use bacon or fresh parsley.

Note:  For my own family’s tastes, next time I would omit the red pepper and perhaps replace it with a second can of chilies.  Other than that, great, easy and delicious recipe!

Be sure to check out all of the posts in the Slow Cooker Mondays series for more yummy recipes for fall.

Here’s a fun holiday recipe provided by Pringles:

Pringles Ghoulish Brownies

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 ounces baking chocolate, unsweetened
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1-6.41 ounce can of Pringles Original or 1-5.71 ounce can of Reduced Fat Pringles Original
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
• Orange and black frosting (optional)
• Edible decorations, such as sprinkles and candy corn (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.       Preheat oven to 350 F

2.       Line 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, and spray foil with cooking spray.

3.       In a glass bowl, microwave chocolate and butter on high for 2 minutes.  Stir until chocolate melts.

4.       In a stainless steel bowl, mix sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well mixed.

5.       Pour in butter chocolate mixture and mix well.

6.       Empty Pringles and flour into a food processor, and puree until very fine.

7.       Empty flour mixture into chocolate mixture and mix well; add nuts to distribute.

8.       Bake for 30 minutes, and cool.

OPTIONAL DECORATION DIRECTIONS:

1.       Before pouring Pringles into food processer, reserve 3-5 crisps and set aside.

2.       While brownies cool, gently break Pringles crisps in half and decorate with frosting gel.

3.       Top brownies and frosting and place crisp “gravestones” in brownies along with other edible decorations to create a fun and playful graveyard scene.