Sweet as Sugar & as Naughty as Egg Nog Holiday Cookie Recipe with SPLENDA®!

Today's discussion is sponsored by SPLENDA®.

One of my favorite parts of celebrating the holiday season is all the sweets involved. From chocolate covered everything to super sweet sugar cookies, I'm loving being able to share the spirit of the holidays with delicious dessert recipes! While I love real sugar, I know that my body holds onto it forever and ever, so I try to limit myself... luckily, that's where SPLENDA® comes into the picture.

I know you've heard of SPLENDA® whether you've had it in your coffee or tried it in a recipe - it's a brand we all know and love and the cookie recipe I'm sharing today is one inspired by the brand.
The original recipe (found here) is actually really easy to follow but since I like to mix things up, I added my own little touch to the cookies - adding a delicious Egg Nog icing and instead of baking them with real flour, I opted to make my cookies gluten-free with coconut flour!

If you want a cookie that'll leave you wanting more, these are the Sweet as Sugar & as Naughty as Egg Nog cookies you've been looking for! If Santa wants something a little different this year, these are definitely the cookies to make for him!

Ingredients:

Cookies:
    1 cup unsalted butter, softened    
1 cup SPLENDA® Sugar Blend
2 large eggs    
2 teaspoons vanilla extract    
3 cups coconut flour   
1 teaspoon baking powder    
½ teaspoon salt



Icing:
1/4 cup vanilla egg nog

3 cups confectioners sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
a few pinches of cinnamon

You'll start this recipe by preheating the oven to 325 degrees, then begin beating the butter at a low speed in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until it has a creamy texture. Gradually adding the SPLENDA® Sugar Blend, mixing it well.

Next you'll add the eggs into the mix, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Following the original recipes directions, now is the time to stir in vanilla.

Next you'll combine the coconut flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate mixing bowl.

Slowly add flour mixture to SPLENDA® sugar blend, beating until completed blended.

Form dough into balls and flatten slightly or place into a silcone mold.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly browned.

Remove from oven and let cool, while the cookies are cooling you can prep the icing.

Mix the butter and vanilla eggnog on low with an electric mixer. Adding confectioners sugar about a cup at a time to the mixture and mixing until smooth each time. Spoon into a piping bag and chill in refrigerator for a few minutes.

Once the cookies have completely cooled, add icing, and little sprinkles or candies!

Enjoy!

While the Sweet as Sugar and as Naughty as Eggnog Cookies are delicious, there are so many amazing Sweet Swaps™ Recipe ideas found here and you can easily get a bag of SPLENDA® from Walmart to get baking right away! Which recipe do you want to make first?

Simple + So Delicious: Elevated Peanut Butter Ball Recipe

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

Creamy, with a little bit of crunch, covered in chocolate and coated with sprinkles... What's not to love about an elevated version of peanut butter balls? I've always had a thing for the delicious little pieces of heaven my grandmother tends to make only around the holidays. They are like gold in my family, we literally divide them into equal portions for each of us girls and we each take a bag home... They are that good!

But the thing is, my tastes have changed as I've gotten a little older and I was looking for something to give these balls a little more oomph... so today I'm sharing how I elevated one of my favorite recipes from good to amazeballs, with the help of Peter Pan Simply Ground Peanut Butter! Why is this peanut butter better than the others? It's the perfect mixture of creamy and crunchy, with a taste that you'll crave! Plus, it has no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives!

I not only changed the recipe for the peanut butter balls by choosing a better peanut butter; I decided to add sprinkles, a fruit preserve drizzle, or a tiny pinch of coconut to my peanut butter balls as well. This recipe really is amazing and you can grab everything you'll need in one quick run to Walmart!

You will need:
1 jar of Peter Pan Simply Ground Peanut Butter

3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1 stick salted butter
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 tbsp shortening
Sprinkles, Shredded Coconut, Fruit Preserve or other "toppings"

You'll be happy to find out this recipe is super easy! You'll begin by mixing the peanut butter and butter together with a handheld mixer. Once combined start slowly adding in confectioners sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time.

Once all of the confectioners sugar is added into the bowl, continue mixing until the "dough" starts to form one giant ball. Place in your refrigerator for at least an hour, maybe longer if you live in warm climate like Florida. Now remove the giant peanut butter ball from the fridge and try to refrain from eating it! You'll want to start rolling about 1inch sized balls, placing them onto a wax covered cookie sheet.

Once all the dough is rolled, you'll want to place your peanut butter balls back into the fridge until they feel dense and chilled to the touch.

Once your PB balls fit this description, you'll want to begin melting your chocolate according to package directions - although, I will mention that I tend to add in 1 tbsp shortening to make it easier to coat the PB balls! Once the chocolate is melted, remove the PB balls from the fridge and place a toothpick in each one and begin dipping into the melted chocolate quickly.

Using a large spoon and drizzling chocolate with the other spoon seems to be the easiest way to coat a peanut butter ball... and here's a little tip to prevent a mess: holding the ball in the left hand, tap your left wrist with your right hand. This slight tapping motion is the only way to rid your peanut butter ball of access chocolate without making a mess, you can thank me for that later when your counter tops aren't covered in chocolate splatter!

Now quickly add sprinkles or coconut to the peanut butter balls of choice, drizzling a few with a room temperature fruit preserve as well.

Place back into the refrigerator for a few hours and they're ready to serve and so delicious!

It's that easy to get these amazing little treats ready for your next event. Whether you are looking for a way to treat your family this Thanksgiving or wanting to surprise your family with a homemade treat for Christmas, this super easy peanut butter ball recipe using Peter Pan Simply Ground Peanut Butter is the answer!

So tell me, what recipe will you add this creamy, yet slightly crunchy peanut butter to? I love anything that involves peanut butter so I can't wait to hear all about your delicious PB-inspired ideas! Don't forget to snag this coupon for 50 cents off your next jar of Peter Pan Simply Ground Peanut Butter!

Mostaccioli - A Family Tradition

Mostaccioli is something that just reminds me of my grandmother. While she's a fabulous cook and everything she makes is stellar, Mostaccioli is something that always makes me think of her love, the way she hugs us girls, the way she smiles; it's a dish that purely represents my grandmother's loving embrace and warmth, a comfort food made for every occasion, always prepared in a batch big enough to feed an army or two.

Christmas late-afternoon lunches, long weekends with my sister, short visits on our birthday's, she makes it almost every time my family gets together, making the dish that much more of a tradition...

Today I want to share my version of her recipe, which is almost the same as hers, but prepared with Mama's Special Garden Sauce from Ragu! Using Ragu makes this dish so easy to prepare, it's almost mindless - so whenever I have a big event coming up that I need to cook for or I just need some comfort food, this is the recipe I turn to.

Did you know that Ragu started out as a family tradition as well? Assunta Cantisano is the lady behind Ragu, who braved the economy during The Great Depression and started selling jars of her delicious, fresh from the garden sauce from the front porch of her home. That same delicious, fresh from the garden taste is what makes Ragu so great to this day, with tomatoes from family farms and a commitment to quality in every jar - Assunta's tradition lives on.

With fresh vine ripe tomatoes and perfectly combined herbs in every glass jar of Ragu, it's almost just like my grandmother's sauce. Since my Mostaccioli recipe is a tradition and it simmers in Ragu almost all day in the crockpot, I like to refer to this recipe as simmered in tradition.

When I mention Mostaccioli to most people, they ask me what I'm talking about and I've even been told it "sounds like a funny dish"... so while Mostaccioli may not be commonly know, it's a tradition for my family and one that I love sharing, especially because I've adapted the recipe and even made it gluten-free so that my hubby can enjoy it as well.

Surprising my friends that don't know about the delicious ways of Mostaccioli yet with a bowl full of delicious pasta, coated in a beautifully seasoned red sauce, with mushrooms, onions, and a dense handful of Italian cheese sprinkled over the top is always a fun thing to do... It's funny to me how quickly people go from questioning my cooking skills and saying a dish sounds funny to asking for the recipe when they see and taste this recipe!

Not only is this pasta dish incredibly delicious, it's such an easy recipe to prepare! Trust me, you'll want to make Mostaccioli a tradition in your home and I guarantee everyone will love it.

Ingredients:

Mama's Special Garden Sauce from Ragu
1/2 lb ground beef or turkey
1/2 lb Italian sausage
Gluten free penne rigate pasta
1 can of mushrooms
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1 tbsp oil
Italian cheese

You'll want to start boiling the water for your pasta first... then brown the ground beef and italian sausage with the onion and olive oil in a large pan. Boil the pasta until al dente and cook the meat and onion mixture until brown, drain both items.


Combine your pasta, meat, onions, can of mushrooms, and Mama's Special Garden Sauce together in a crock pot. Simmer for 3-4 hours, or until ready to serve on low heat. When everyone is ready to eat, serve up in a bowl with a large helping of cheese sprinkled over the top!

Enjoy!

Now that I've shared a family tradition in my home, I'd love to hear all about the traditions your family follows...? Does your family have a certain pasta dish on special occasions? Does your crew always go eat at a certain restaurant when everyone is together? Tell me one of your favorite family traditions (or recipes) in the comments below, I can't wait to hear all about it!

The Ultimate Taqueria "Street Taco" Recipe with Cilantro Lime Rice INSIDE!

This shop has been compensated by Albertsons. All opinions are mine alone.
#StockUpOnPace #Albertsons #CollectiveBias

Let's start here... Are you a taco person?

I mean, are you the type of taco person that really knows a good taco when you see one? Can you get down on some delicious soft corn shell, double stacked, meat overflowing with a super spicy salsa kinda tacos? Are you a true taco lover?

We can hang anytime you want, if you're willing to stop and get street tacos and a Mexican soda with me... That's what true friendship is about in my mind - a good time and tacos.

So when Pace wanted me to show you how I stock up and get down on some of my favorite salsas, I knew exactly what I wanted to share...

But first, let me ask, Are you a fan of a taco with some heat? Can you handle a rainbow of veggies stacked a mile high and a dallop of the best salsa on the planet? If so, I think it's time for me to introduce you to my oh-so-delicious "street taco" recipe.

I'm not trying to flatter myself, but I really am the queen of street tacos now that I've mastered this simple recipe. I adapted a delicious taco recipe from Pace and made it into the best homemade "street taco" you've ever tried.

What's that I hear, you want the whole recipe? My version is below and you can find the original here!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 Jar Pace Hot Picante Sauce
Corn Tortillas
1 cup Mexican Cheese Blend
Shredded Cabbage
Tomatoes
Onions
Pace Chunky Salsa or Pace Restaurant Style Garlic & Lime Salsa
Jasmine Rice
Cilantro
Lime

You'll want to start this recipe by preparing the rice as directed on the bag, adding in a dash of fresh cilantro while it's boiling.

Once the rice is started, beginning browning your ground beef in a skillet. Once brown, add in 1 cup of Pace Hot Picante sauce and let simmer for five minutes.

While the sauce is simmering with the meat and the rice is on it's way to finished, go ahead and heat up a smaller pan to heat the tortillas with. Place each tortilla on the pan one at time, heating them until they are slightly browned.

Once the rice is ready, add in a hefty amount of lime and a small handful of chopped cilantro.

Now it's time to prep your tacos! Place the shells on a plate, adding the rice in first, followed by the meat and picante sauce, topped with a generous stack of veggies (onion, tomato, cabbbage, etc), and then finish your taco off with a dallop of Pace Salsa and a dash of cheese and your set to start eating!

Now, tell me, who wants tacos for dinner tonight?! I'd also love to hear your favorite Pace recipe... I love adding the Pace Picante to my eggs in the morning and the Pace Restaurant style garlic and lime is the perfect addition to my enchilada recipe... Tell me about your favorites in the comments below! Then go stock up on your favorite Pace products at Albertsons (or Safeway) at a great savings! Grab 2 delicious Pace salsas for $4 from 9/30-10/13!

Super Simple + Saucy Adobo Apricot BBQ Chicken

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

Making yummy food for game day is something that I always strive to do, sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't... Whether the recipe I prepare pans out or not, it does usually mean I have a pretty big mess in the kitchen!

From accidentally slopping some sauce on my counter while trying to get it out of the jar to sticky bbq sauce covered hands coming in to grab another beer out of my fridge, I'm always battling the mess! Luckily, I have Viva® Vantage® Towels to "play defense" for me during my game day adventures with the boys! With super stretchy-strength to deliver great scrubbing power, I'm able to clean up every mess in the house and more!

So I guess I should warn you, you may need a few rolls of paper towels. They're excellent at picking up messes and cleaning off hands and with this recipe, everyone in your house will be asking for something heavy duty to clean their hands with. I love that Viva® Vantage® are so soft they feel like cloth, yet so strong they won't rip or tear. So I warned you, this recipe is beyond delicious, but it does get a little messy... I mean BBQ chicken should be messy, otherwise it isn't really good... right?

While this recipe may have you reaching for the paper towels, it is so incredibly easy to make you'll wonder why you didn't think of it... it's so good, you'll be getting asked for the recipe all night long!

Want to make some Super Simple + Saucy Adobo Apricot BBQ Chicken for your football loving friends? While your at Walmart picking up supplies for game day you'll want to grab the three super simple ingredients to make this top-notch chicken recipe and my favorite product to help me clean!

You'll need:
A rotisserie chicken
A jar of apricot preserve
A can of Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (usually found in the Hispanic foods aisle)

Oh and don't forget the Viva® Vantage® Towels, found in the paper towel section at your local Walmart, to help handle the mess!

That's it, your shopping list is complete!
The prep for this meal is so simple, anyone can do it! If you're chicken is cold from being in the fridge, you'll start by placing the cold chicken in a pre-heated oven at about 350 for 20 minutes, or until warm.

While your chicken is in the oven, you'll want to add about 3/4 cup apricot preserve, 1/4 cup adobo chipotle peppers, and about a 1/4 cup of water to a food processor and blend until smooth.

Once the sauce is smooth and your chicken is warm, your set to start serving up your delicious dish. This is where things get messy, whether your pouring the sauce all over the entire rotisserie and then allowing your guests to grab what they want or tearing the chicken apart first and adding the sauce later - both ways your bound to get a little saucy. That's why you'll want Viva® Vantage® on hand for you and your friends!

So tell me, which team will you be cheering on next Sunday? What's your favorite food to serve to guests in the heat of the game? If you've been following the blog you know I'm a bucs fan, so we'll be eating this delicious and super quick chicken dish and cheering on the team that almost always loses... and we're okay with that, because our food is good and the company we keep is even better!

My Version of #MealPrep Monday: My Favorite Time-Saving Side Dish - Suddenly Grain Salad

I know I say this often, but we're pretty busy in our house. We don't really have time to think most days... I'm constantly working on a project or school work and hubby is either working or at school, most of the time. We love being able to unwind, relax, and have dinner on the nights that our schedules actually line up and we get a chance to just breathe. I'm sure you can relate...

Well, this week, we both are overwhelmed with awesome projects (that I can't wait to share), a busy work schedule, and a ton of homework so I decided while he was slaving away on editing a video for class that I would whip up a delicious lunch and surprise him. It's my wifely duty to make a meal every once in a while, right?

Luckily, this meal is so easy to make, he had no idea I even made lunch until it was done. I barely made a sound but came out with a plate that had him speechless when he realized what I'd been doing. I'll be honest and share that the plate looks and tastes so much more time-consuming than it actually was.

I made a mixture of some of our favorite foods, a veggie, some of our favorite chicken tenders prepared differently, and Suddenly Grain Salad.

Our veggies consisted of a delicious heaping side of brussel sprouts... I'll be honest and reveal that I just heated these up - they are from a local health food store and absolutely delicious!

The next item on the plate was the gluten-free chicken tenders. These little guys are one of our favorite foods and since I was trying to "elevate" the dish a little I drizzled some homemade apricot preserve to add a sweet component... I highly recommend you give this a try; so tasty and so, so easy to put together; plus, kids will love it!

The best item on the plate was definitely the colorful and delicious Suddenly Grain Salad though! It’s a flavorful mix of quinoa and wild rice with a tasty little mixture of nuts, all with a zesty dressing packet included. I made the Harvest grains this time which was infused with cranberries as well and it was delicious! I can't wait to try the Southwest and Tuscan varieties later this week!

Whether you are trying to wow your picky toddler with "tapas" or sneaking a quick meal into a busy day, I highly recommend you give this tasty (and easy to prep) meal idea a try! You can grab everything you'll need at the grocery store including Suddenly Grain Salad, but don't forget to print this coupon so you save some $$$ on the ingredients! Find Suddenly Grain Salad in a store near you! Which recipe will you try first, this delicious Southwest recipe or this savory Mediterranean recipe? Let me know in a comment below!

[ad] Quick & Easy Avocado Ranch Flame Grilled Burger

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

I'll be honest, most days dinner is kind of a make-what-you-want event around here. I don't often have the time or patience to stand over a hot stove and cook a long involved meal. Like most people, I'm always on the go, working on school work, or crafting up something for the blog, so I don't often prepare fancy meals with all the fixings. I'm more of a quick & easy type of chef.

Actually, my hubby tends to be the better chef out of the two of us, but I've been working on my baking and cooking skills... mainly so I can share recipes with you, but also so we can eat and stuff. With him working full-time, interning, and in school most days we've had to adjust our schedules some which means I've had to step up my cooking game some nights.

While we've had a couple of mishaps, today I'm sharing one of our new favorite QUICK and super easy meals, this Avocado Ranch Burger is outta this world delicious with 2 Ball Park® Flame Grilled Patties, stacked on top of delicious gluten-free bread, a tomato, a few slices of onion, and a delicious Avocado Ranch sauce drizzle - what more could you ask for?

This flame-grilled Avocado Ranch burger is the one you've been dreaming of and you can make it in just a matter of minutes, with no grill required!

[ad] This quick and easy dinner is the perfect way to surprise your sweetie on a busy night! Get the recipe for this delicious flame-grilled Avocado Ranch burger over #ontheblog today! #yum #BPPatties #liveauthentic #thatsdarling #finditliveit #abmhappylife #foodie #thisgirlcancook #callmechef #wifeystatus

A video posted by Lauren Paints (@sunkissed_sweetheart) on Sep 10, 2015 at 12:49pm PDT

To prep this delicious and simple meal, simply stick two pieces of toast in the toaster and two Ball Park® Patties on a plate, heat in the microwave for about a minute (adjust time according to the package directions). Now it's time to prep your homemade sauce, it's so simple to make and absolutely the perfect creamy addition to your Ball Park® Patties!

Ingredients for the Avocado Ranch Sauce

1 avocado
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp cup mayo
1 tbsp diced red onion, chopped
2 tbsp chopped cilantro, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
1/2 tbsp white sugar
a pinch of salt & pepper

You'll begin by halving and pitting the avocado. Now, place the avocado, hot sauce, and lime juice in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Add in the buttermilk, mayo, onion, cilantro, garlic, sugar, and salt & pepper. Blend until completely smooth, pulsing the ingredients until they are all thoroughly combined. Taste test & your set!

Once your sauce is finished, you'll apply a liberal amount to each piece of toast, placing the burger patties and toppings on the bread and then dinner is served! It's as easy as that to make an epic, unforgettable Avocado Ranch Burger... I won't tell anyone it's that easy to get such an impressive dinner on the table if you won't!

You can pick up everything you'll need for this super quick and easy dinner at Publix. I highly suggest you grab a few extra packs of the Ball Park® Flame Grilled Patties in one of the seven different varieties available! These Ball Park® Patties are the perfect way to treat yourself to a delicious meal without wasting any time! We grabbed a pack of the new Hickory Smoked Bacon & White Cheddar Chicken Patties and they are delicious!

While you can have dinner on the table in just minutes with Ball Park® Patties, you can enter this sweepstakes even quicker! Check out all the details and enter to win the Hall of Flame Sweepstakes today!

I'd love to know what you plan to do with all the extra time now that dinner won't take so long to prepare? Tell me how you'll spend your free time in the comments below!

Treat Yourself: Triple Chocolate & Caramel Ice Cream Sandwich with Blue Bunny

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

Eating delicious triple chocolate cookies is something I've been dreaming of since I began strictly dieting this summer and while I'm still trying to watch my figure, I also deserve to treat myself every once in a while so I made these AMAZING triple chocolate ice cream sandwiches with some of my favorite Blue Bunny Ice Cream, Bunny Tracks!

With a creamy, cold peanut butter and fudge infused ice cream inside of two delicious, soft, triple chocolate cookies, all stuck together with a gooey, sloppy layer of caramel; this recipe is the answer to a deprived foodie's sweet tooth cravings and it's sinfully delicious!

Since I've been dieting, my hubby has been kind enough not to eat too much chocolate in front of me, which has been nice; but I know he's missing it as well! That's why I decided to make these delicious sandwiches gluten-free (he has a wheat allergy). The only bad part about making these gluten free is that my hubby will likely consume all of these beautiful desserts before I even manage to get my hands on another one. If you have someone in your family that suffers from a gluten (or wheat) allergy, these desserts are the perfect way to treat them to a food they probably miss dearly!

Now I know what you are probably thinking, something this delicious must be difficult to make... But you'd be surprised how easy these sweet treats are to make! You'll want to turn on some music and get the electric mixer out because this recipe is about to rock your world!

Just a little tip, I typically make my batch of cookies the same day I plan to serve these beauties, so that the cookies are nice and fresh!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour     
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups dark chocolate chips
2 tbsp Hazelnut Spread
Caramel Topping

Blue Bunny Bunny Tracks Ice Cream

Begin prepping this recipe by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Next you'll want to combine the butter, sugar, eggs, hazelnut spread, and vanilla and mix with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.

Now add in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips, until it's all blended well.

Bake for 15 minutes in the oven, or just until set. Allow these delicious chocolate beauties to remain on the cookie sheets for around 20 minutes or until cool to the touch.

Once the cookies are cool, add a scoop of Blue Bunny Bunny Tracks Ice Cream on to the bottom of one cookie, add a swirl or two of caramel, and place another cookie on top.

Enjoy!

Now that I've shared one of the most delicious recipes of the summer, I'd love to hear your favorite way to indulge your cravings? Want to sample Blue Bunny Ice Cream before you buy it? Check out this list of all the Walmart locations that will be giving out FREE ice cream samples July 16-19!