February 23, 2016 by Krista

Snacking Better with Sunsweet Philippine Tropicals

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sunsweet Growers. All opinions regarding Sunsweet Philippine Tropicals Dried Fruit and all content in this post are 100% mine.

With three growing boys and a 6-foot-3 husband, I am always looking for snacking options for our home. I like to offer my family variety in their snacking and, recently, we have been enjoying more dried fruit. I absolutely love the Sunsweet Philippine Tropicals Dried Fruit and they have recently come out with two delectable new flavors! It’s a quick grab-and-go snack that doesn’t need refrigeration and won’t mold, perfect for the diaper bag or a day running errands. My whole family loves it, it’s easy to take with us wherever we go and they are so full of delicious flavor.

SNACK ON SUNSWEET PHILIPPINE TROPICALS DRIED FRUIT

The new Sunsweet Philippine Green Mango fruits are picked early, before it’s completely ripe. The mango pieces are tangy, delivering a tart-sweet combo that will excite your taste buds. Mr. Napping loves that these aren’t as sweet as a lot of other dried fruit. I, on the other hand, am in love with the new Thai Coconut Chip; they are amazing. They are lightly toasted so there’s a great crunch to them, similar to a potato chip, but better. And the creamy vanilla notes will leave you wanting more. The coconut chips are definitely one of my favorite snacks to munch on and it’s so hard to stop after just a few.

But there’s even more deliciousness available! My kids love the Sunsweet Philippine Mango pieces; they are a delicious treat. These aren’t your average grocery store produce section mangoes! They are so full of flavor! On an island in the Philippines, Sunsweet found a microclimate producing Mangos even the locals rave about. Sunsweet Philippine Mangoes are Marabella Mangos from this area’s ideal conditions, which produce an unbeatable flavor. Sunsweet Philippine Mango pieces are thick and soft with a hint of sweet floral taste. It is America’s #1 Mango. And I can’t forget the Sunsweet Philippine Pineapple! It is so soft and full of flavor, almost like eating chunks of fresh pineapple. Because Sunsweet Philippine Tropicals are sourced from unique microclimates with ideal growing conditions, they have an amazing taste of the tropics that is succulent and sweet. A perfect tropical get-away for your taste buds!

GO TO PARADISE WITH SUNSWEET PHILIPPINE TROPICALS DRIED FRUIT

All this talk of the tropics makes me want to spend a week on a beach with the sunshine! You too? Well, right now, Sunsweet is sponsoring the Sunsweet Find Your Paradise Sweepstakes! The winner gets to pick their Tropical destination from Hawaii, a Caribbean Cruise or Florida. To enter, Sunsweet fans vote for their tropical vacation location for a chance to win. The winner will be selected randomly. There will also be additional opportunities for weekly winners to receive a gift basket containing the new Tropicals flavors and beach gear! You can find the full rules and enter to win at FindYourParadise.sunsweet.com or at Sunsweet.com and through Sunsweet’s various advertising channels on Facebook and Pandora.

I would have a very difficult tine choosing between Hawaii and a Caribbean Cruise! Which vacation destination would you choose? Leave a comment after you enter the sweepstakes and let me know!

September 17, 2015 by Krista

Start the Day Off Right with Kellogg’s Corn Pops Breakfast Bites

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

Today was one of those days. The kind where you have to peel yourself out of bed and the whole house is a solid twenty minutes of chaos as you shoo everyone out the door. The kind where you finally get all the kids deposited where they need to be and you just want to climb back under your cozy blankets in your nice soft bed, but can’t. But, it’s never to late to start the day off right. Or at least to start the rest of the day off right. It our rushed mornings, my kids don’t have time (and I don’t have patience) for them to sit down and eat a bowl of cereal. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But it can be stress-free and fun too! I made up a batch of Corn Pops Bites and I couldn’t believe how quickly my family devoured them. And Mr. Napping, who doesn’t eat cold cereal if he can help it, but will always stop for a bowl of Corn Pops, wasn’t here to help them disappear even faster.

KELLOGG’S CORN POPS BREAKFAST BITES

Start the day off right with these easy make-ahead, grab and go breakfast bites

Print This Recipe

Kellogg's Corn Pops Breakfast Bites

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 2 mins

Total time: 22 mins

Serves: 15 cereal bites

Serving size: 26 g

Calories: 103

Fat: 6g

Start the day off right with grab and go Corn Pops Breakfast Bites. They also make a great snack anytime. A super easy, make ahead in the microwave recipe that will ease the morning rush.

Ingredients

1 cup Kellogg's Corn Pops
½ cup instant oats
⅔ cup peanut butter
½ cup mini marshmallows
⅛ cup chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

Pour 1 cup of Corn Pops into a microwave safe bowl.
Combine the marshmallows and peanut butter in the bowl.
Microwave for 20-40 seconds, until the marshmallows and peanut butter are melted.
Stir until well combined.
Add the oats. I mix in the oats with my hands to help them get evenly distributed though out the mixture.
Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and set on a cutting board or wax paper. Or you could shape them into bars if you preferred.
Repeat previous step until all of the cereal mixture is rolled into balls.
Place cutting board in refrigerator. Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds at a time until chocolate is all melted.
Get the cereal balls back out of the fridge and drizzle with chocolate. Return to fridge for 10-15 mins until chocolate is set.
Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Refrigerate if your peanut butter requires it.

I’m so glad I picked up some Kellogg’s Corn Pops last time I went to Target. We love to snack on them straight out of the box, but these little treats are so tasty! Be sure to check out Kellogg’s Back to School packaging and great on-pack offers in store at Target! Stock up on Kellogg’s breakfast products from 9/13-9/19 and you’ll receive a $5 Target giftcard when you purchase five select Nutri-grain, Special K, Pop-Tart, and Kellogg’s cereal products. Start the day off right with some protein and a little fiber to help keep your kids focused and fueled for school.

I usually pair a couple of breakfast bites with some yogurt or a sting cheese and apple slices. Things that are easy for my kiddos to eat on rushed mornings. You don’t have to put the chocolate on top if you want something a little more healthy and sugary. But I just couldn’t resist the peanut butter and chocolate combination. I would also suggest using salted peanut butter (most of them already are, but you can get some that is unsalted) because the sweet and salty combination is pretty tasty too!

And check out how you could win up to $100 when you purchase Kellogg’s cereal and Pop Tarts! Who doesn’t want $100?!

October 30, 2014 by Krista

Sweet and Salty Halloween Snack Mix

I can’t believe Halloween is all but here! Are you ready? If you’re looking for one more Halloween project, you’re in luck! I’ve got one last quick little project for you before Halloween has come and gone and I have to save this for a whole year. The best part: It’s quick and simple. And delicious! A fun Halloween Snack Mix that is perfect for your celebrations.

SWEET & SALTY HALLOWEEN SNACK MIX

SWEET & SALTY HALLOWEEN SNACK MIX INGREDIENTS

Of course, you should adapt the ingredients to fit those eating your snack mix. These are ideas and the ingredients I used in our snack mix.

– Gummy worms

– Candy Corn

– Bugle Chips

– Mini Marshmallows

– Chocolate Covered Pretzels

– Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures

– Stick Pretzels

* I suggest checking the bulk section, if your grocery store has one. You can get things in the quantity that you need and it’s usually cheaper than the pre-packaged items. And that way you can leave out what you don’t like and put in what you do.

SWEET & SALTY HALLOWEEN SNACK MIX DIRECTIONS

– Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Divide into serving sizes, if desired. Serve.

Seriously. How easy was that?! What I love about this mix is that it’s a great combo of salty and sweet, as well as crunchy and soft. Yum. There’s something to make everyone happy.

Chocolate? Check.
Gummies? Check.
Soft marshmallows? Check.
Crunchy chips? Check.
Peanut butter? Check.

Pick and choose your favorites. Make it the way you like it. If you’ve been around here much, you know I love being able to customize things so they fit our family.

Another great perk: this was a great project to do with my boys. What little kid doesn’t love a quick and easy project they get to eat afterward? Okay, admittedly, I like that too. Projects you can eat are the best kind of projects!

Package up this fun Halloween snack mix in little ziptop bags and put a Monster Mash Baggie topper on it for an extra festive spooky gift!