NEW SMARTMADE ™ by SmartOnes (R) meals offer smart and delicious meals inspired by your smart cooking methods -like grilling protein and roasting vegetables for more flavor, and making smart swaps like white bean puree for cream – just like you do at home.
Fall is always a busy time of year, from back-to-school, to kids’ sports, family activities, and then it leads into the holidays. This fall has been an especially crazy one for us, with all the normal fall activities like the ones I just mentioned, and then add in the birth of my twin nephews and my own pregnancy! I truly love cooking (obviously I am a food blogger), but I find myself looking for smart and delicious alternative options more often when I can’t or don’t have time to cook. As a result of my health coach training, I am confident in the fact that I am knowledgeable about health and nutrition. I strive to eat real food as much as I possibly can, but I also realize that eating healthy involves balance, and trade-offs might be necessary when life is as crazy as it has been for us here lately.  I have realized that it is ok to take a little help where I can get it and that might come in the form of real food prepared meals for convenience. I am so glad that I was introduced to NEW SMARTMADE! These are really meals that are inspired by you! They are a great option for me when life is crazy, but I still want to embrace and enjoy healthy living through balance, moderation and not stressing the small stuff!! I am trying to give myself a little slack here and there Just look at all of the real, simple ingredients in this SMARTMADE  Mexican-Style Chicken Bowl!! I am loving the combination of grilled white meat chicken with black beans and roasted vegetables over brown rice lightly tossed in a green chili lime sauce and topped with Monterey jack cheese in this burrito-style bowl Those are real ingredients that you can pronounce, actual ones found in your pantry! Y’all know I love to be creative in the kitchen and this meal tastes the way that I want it to, like it just came out of my healthy kitchen but without the time or work of actually having to prepare it from scratch I found these NEW SMARTMADE meals in my local grocery store’s freezer aisle and I picked up a few different varieties to check out. I thought that they would be a perfect option for me to take to work for my lunch and to have on-hand in the freezer for dinners when I have to work late because of one of our charity events or I just don’t have the energy to cook (um…hello pregnancy exhaustion…the struggle is real my friends)!! Are you seeing the grill marks on those veggies? YUM!! This SMARTMADE White Wine Chicken and Couscous features grilled white meat chicken with roasted zucchini, eggplant, onions and tomatoes over pearled couscous lightly tossed in a white wine sauce. I love the smart swap of couscous for white rice and that is one that I have definitely taken advantage of in my own kitchen since it doesn’t compromise taste Think about the time that it might take to grill the chicken, roast the veggies, prepare the couscous and then put it all together for a lovely meal for your family, friends, yourself… why not make the smart move and take some help where you can get it?! You could serve this dish to friends and/or family and they might not even know that it is a frozen meal!! Check out this delicious Rosemary Grilled Beef & Vegetables!! Grilled sirloin beef seasoned with rosemary served with roasted sweet potatoes, onions and Brussels sprouts! I love roasting vegetables to really give them that extra flavor!! And you can really taste the roasted goodness of the veggies in this dish as well as the rosemary infusing the beef!! These are just three of the delicious varieties of NEW SMARTMADE meals that are available. Be sure to check out the full list of meals here. Also for more meal inspiration, please visit SMARTMADE on Facebook & Instagram, using the hashtag #smartmade!! 

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*Sponsor and affiliate links are used in this post. However this does not influence or change my opinion. Thanks for using them and helping support my family and my blog!*

Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Spicy Pepper Basil Sauce is a healthy dinner recipe that is perfect for summer grilling, family BBQs or any outdoor entertaining! Enter the Mezzetta Bold, Bright Summer Giveaway for a chance to win a $500 Summer Grilling Kit –> HERE <– #BoldBrightSummer #ad

Before we get to today’s tasty summer grilling recipe, I wanted to share with you more about the Mezzetta Bold, Bright Summer Giveaway because I love y’all so much!! I would be thrilled is one of you were to win the Grand Prize which is valued at over $500!!

• Grand Prize (1): Weber® Spirit® E-310™ gas grill (ARV $499.00) + Weber® 3 Piece Tool Set (ARV $22.99) + 5 jars of Mezzetta Peppers + Summer Entertaining Kit (Cooler, Wooden Cutting Board, Apron, Towel, Beachball)

• Runner-ups (10): Weber® ORIGINAL KETTLE® 18” charcoal grill (ARV $79.00) + Weber® 3 Piece Tool Set (ARV $22.99) + 5 jars of Mezzetta Peppers + Summer Entertaining Kit (Cooler, Wooden Cutting Board, Apron, Towel, Beachball)

• ENTER HERE between May 15th – July 15th, 2016

Today is the first day of summer, “officially,” but for us it has felt like summer for several weeks now. We love to grill during the warmer months and we have an abundance of mahi in the freezer because a friend caught a TON of fresh mahi on his last fishing trip and was generous enough to share We love mahi and nice thick pieces are perfect on the grill but I wanted to really elevate the mahi this time so I came up with my Spicy Pepper Basil Sauce!

The secret ingredients for this awesome sauce is Mezzetta peppers!! Mezzetta Peppers are the #1 jarred peppers in the U.S.! They are harvested at the peak of ripeness from local farmers around the world to bring the delicious flavors to life with their proprietary brines! I used fresh garlic, the Roasted Red Bell Peppers, the Deli-Sliced Hot Jalapeño Peppers, the Deli-Sliced Mild Pepper Rings and a bunch of fresh basil from my garden to whip up this delicious sauce using my food processor. It was super quick and easy !! We loved the flavor punch that it brought to the dish If you aren’t into spicy food (and this wasn’t really too spicy), you could sub the Deli-Sliced Tamed Jalapeño Peppers. But we love a nice kick to our foods so I went with the spicy route.

My original plan was to grill this mahi dish on the outdoor grill one evening for the family, but Mother Nature foiled those plans with one of our famous South GA summer afternoon/evening thunderstorms! So quick change of plans and I had to grill inside on my indoor grill/panini press (here is the one that I have and love: http://amzn.to/28JjZA9).

We really needed the rain, so I couldn’t complain and the dish was a hit with the family!! I served the grilled mahi-mahi over a bed of brown rice with a simple green salad topped with croutons, feta cheese and Mezzetta Golden Greek Pepperoncinis. For a super simple dressing, I used a little of the brine from the Golden Greek Pepperoncinis and a drizzle of olive oil. YUM!!

I kept the grilled mahi-mahi pretty simple by seasoning it only with a little grill seasoning, so that I could let the bold, bright flavors of the sauce really shine through!! This recipe does make more sauce than you need, so will definitely have plenty to freeze for later. You can follow the same method that I use for pest. The post where I go into detail on that process is HERE.

One last reminder…Enter the Mezzetta Bold, Bright Summer Giveaway for a chance to win a $500 Summer Grilling Kit –> HERE <–

And finally…Here is your recipe for Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Spicy Pepper Basil Sauce:

Win Free Stuff

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Mini Organic Frozen Yogurt Pops with Fresh Fruit is an easy healthy summer kid-friendly snack made with Annie’s Organic Whole Milk Yogurt and organic fruit. #choosegood #annies #ad

The summer heat is in full effect for us down here in South Georgia! Upper 80’s and low 90’s are now the norm. These hot days just scream for a cool snack, but ice cream and popsicles aren’t the healthiest choice. Lil man (and hubs for that matter) are sugar lovin’ fools, so I am always looking for lower sugar, healthier snack for them.

At my last trip to Publix, I was looking at the Extra Savings Flyer (like I always do) and I noticed a new product from Annie’s Yogurt (a brand you know that you can trust to be wholesome and nutritious), an Organic Whole Milk Yogurt! It is on sale now through May 27, 2016 at Publix for two 4-packs for $5!! Now that is a deal!! You can check out the deal and either add it to your online shopping list or print it out here: https://ooh.li/fcd267f.

I went to the yogurt section to check it out and found that Annie’s new yogurt is available in two flavors, Summer Strawberry and Berry Patch and they are made with organic whole milk and organic fruit. They also have no artificial flavors, synthetic colors, preservatives, antibiotics or synthetic hormones!! And after taking a quick look at the nutrition label on the back, I learned that each 4-ounce serving contains 100 calories, 4 grams of protein and 3 grams of fat. That makes this mama do a little happy dance

I quickly picked up a few packs and headed home. I decided on the way home that I wanted to make a fun, cool treat for lil man and decided on using the Annie’s yogurt to make some Mini Organic Frozen Yogurt Pops with Fresh Fruit.

I don’t have any of those popsicles molds, so I like to just use ice cube trays. They work perfectly and then your popsicles are so big. They are a nice snack size. You also can eat them before they melt all over the place I used square and half moon shaped ice cube trays.

I kept it pretty simple and just added fresh strawberry to the Summer Strawberry flavor. I added both strawberries and blueberries to the Berry Patch flavor. You could totally mix it up with whatever fruit that you like…feel free to get creative! We loved these little treats and a I am sure that I will be making them for us to enjoy all summer long.

But before we get to the recipe for my Mini Organic Frozen Yogurt Pops with Fresh Fruit, I have a little giveaway for you so you can try these sweet treats with your family! I am giving one lucky reader $20 in PayPal cash or a $20 Amazon Gift Card, winner’s choice. The giveaway runs from now until May 30, 2016, 12:00 am. Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here is your recipe for Mini Organic Frozen Yogurt Pops with Fresh Fruit:

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I am taking a departure from our normal recipes so I can share with you a HUGE giveaway!!  I’m SO excited to share this prize with you! This month I’ve teamed up with Angie of My So-Called Chaos to offer a fun giveaway for a Wii U prize pack! One lucky winner will take it home! I know a couple of little guys that would LOVE this…especially one How fun is that?

Angie talks about how some of her fond memories revolve around playing Nintendo (I remember having one as a kid and playing it with my sisters), so we’re thinking that you can make your own memories with Nintendo if you win this Wii U! Or you can just take the cash, we won’t judge. Since we’re on the topic of childhood memories, Angie asked us all to share some of our fond ones. Here’s what we came up with…

Our Favorite Childhood Memories

“Raising orphaned farm animals that my grandpa would send to us. They had to be fed several times a day and included getting up really early to bottle feed them. It was so neat for a “city” girl and animal lover to be able to take care of these baby animals and the strong bonds that formed.” – Melissa from Deux Bella

“I loved performing in dance because I was able to dance with my sister and my best friend. I did everything from, tap, ballet, jazz and …… Hate to admit but clogging (Which we happened to win Western Nationals).” – Deynece from Deux Bella

“When I was a kid I used to roller skate almost every day. My parents would move the cars out of the carport so we could use that space. My sister and I would put some music on the boombox and skate in a circle like we were in a skating rink. Fun times.” – Tish from The Veganista Foodie

“Christmas was always the favorite. It wasn’t just about the gifts – sure, those were always welcome and nice. But the real memories came from spending time with my family during the holidays… back when they were still around. I had one of those Grandmothers who always cooked just in case people showed up (and oh, they did). Most of my family is much older than me and passed on in my teenage years. Those memories are my favorite because they were of a much more simple time.” – Kimi from Kimi Who?

“My favorite memories are being at my grandparents house, and playing in the woods around there. I always had such fun and I felt safe with my grandparents around.” – Hannah from The Perfect Storm: A Blog by Two BFFs

“Riding bikes around with the neighborhood kids in the summer because I had no responsibilities except have fun.” – Sara from The Perfect Storm: A Blog by Two BFFs

“Traveling with my family! It was so nice to travel before social media was really a thing, because you really lived in the moment and experienced life abroad!” – Mattie from Mattie’s Makings

“When I was about 10, my family and I went on a road trip to Canada from South Carolina. It was a long journey to and from Nova Scotia, but we had the best time! We also went to Prince Edward Island, where L.M. Montgomery, the author of the Anne of Green Gables series lived, which made my little book nerd self so happy! I’ve loved to travel for as long as I can remember, and this memory is one that I love since it combines exploring new places, learning more about literature, and spending time with my family.” – Natalie from Cosmos Mariners: Destination Unknown

“Riding my bike without training wheels for the first time. I definitely ate it and ended up missing some teeth, but it reminds me of how fearless I used to be as a kid.” – Esther from Local Adventurer

“Rolling skating in my best friend’s basement to Donna Summer music. I felt so free!” – Andi from Misadventures with Andi

“I think it has to be walking down the beach and not seeing a wave coming so getting my wellies filled with water and my uncle tipping me upside down to get it all out.” – Sarah from Life in a Breakdown

“My favorite childhood memories are long afternoons spent out and about in the neighborhood – we roamed from house to house and rode our bikes all over. Very different from the life my own kids lead!” – Megan and Wendy from Long Story Short with Megan and Wendy

“I loved piling the whole family into the car and taking a road trip. I loved watching the world go by to the music pumping from my Walkman. I also loved road snacks.” – Heather from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen

“My favorite childhood memory is visiting Disney World with my family. I love everything Disney and getting to see where Mickey Mouse lives was amazing to me. It started a lifelong obsession with Disney that still continues today.” – Jen from Injenious Life

“So many memories I love, but I would have to say summer nights as a kid is the best memory. It was so full of mystery and adventure. The possibilities were endless. All night slumber parties, catching fireflies, sleeping out on the trampoline, camping….” – Alexis from Chemistry Cachet

“Playing ball with my grandfather. No matter how far I would throw the ball, he’d run to go get it.” – Amanda from Green Tea and Cotton

“Going bowling with my Dad. My parents divorced when I was young but every Tuesday he would pick my sister and I up from school and take us bowling. It didn’t matter if he lived 30 minutes away or 4 hours, every Tuesday we bowled.” – January from The Bouncy Ponytail

“Going to see A1 with my friends and Ben waving at me. I nearly fainted!!” – Louise from With Love From Lou

“Our annual week on the lake and it still continues today!! It is a week of family, friends, boating, sun, relaxing, good food and drink and just making memories that will last a lifetime!” – Becky from Becky’s Best Bites

“I grew up in Boise, Idaho and my favorite memory was going to every single Boise Hawks baseball game each summer! We loaded up on candy, soda, and hot dogs and because my dad worked there, we were able to stay after the game and go out onto the field! Good memories with my siblings that gave me a love for baseball.” – Jessica from Together as a Family

“Halloween 1986…my mom took us trick or treating while my dad handed out candy at home. He thought he would be sweet and making peanut butter cookies to hand out (my favorite!). He used salt instead of sugar though! I remember chasing kids down the street telling them not to eat the cookies. My father passed away the next year, so that’s why it’s one of my favorite memories.” – Michelle from My Simplified Life

“Weekends at our family cabin. Love being with family.” – Erik from Erik’s Core Fitness

“My dad used to work a lot, so when new Star Trek movies came out my parents always checked us all out of school and we went together in the middle of the day. It was a fun way to make us all feel special!” – Debra from Housewife Eclectic

“Curled up in bed, in my old bedroom, reading book after book.” – Laura from Petit Moi: Big World

“Riding bikes around the neighborhood all day and night with all our friends in the beautiful CA weather.” – Kim from The Lavender Ladies

“This is a hard one! I think maybe when my dad would turn up the volume on the TV really loud and play the Star Wars or Superman theme song (from the beginning of the movies) so that my sister and I could hear it from our bedroom. It always made us come running to watch whichever movie he had on. Even now his ringtone on my phone is the Imperial March!” – Scarlet from Flight & Scarlet

“Going to Disneyland with my grandparents. It was our first time staying at the park and they made it so special!” – Katie from All Things Lovely

“My favorite childhood memory is cooking in the kitchen with my dad.There were lots of happy memories made in the kitchen.” – Thyme to Save

What’s your favorite childhood memory?

Enter to Win a Wii U Prize Pack

We’re giving one lucky winner a Wii U Prize Pack* or the option to take $300 in Paypal cash instead. Winner’s choice! Giveaway is open worldwide** and ends at 12AM MDT on 4/12/16. Entries will be verified. Entering below agrees to all Terms and Conditions within the Rafflecopter Widget. Good luck!

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*Wii U Prize Pack valued at under $400
**International winners must take the Paypal Cash option due to shipping issues.
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Most nights either my hubby or I will cook dinner. We both love to cook (I mean duh…I do have a food blog ) and I like to feel good about what I am feeding my family by keeping it as healthy and nutritious as possible. I love to use fresh ingredients and make my meals something that we all look forward to. Most nights when the lil man is with us, he requests my tacos (which I add corn and black beans to which he doesn’t even notice) and I love seeing him scarf down several!!

In fact, last time I made them for him, he ate 4!! No that is not a typo, a six year old ate 4 TACOS in one sitting!! But then there are nights that we can’t cook dinner! There aren’t enough hours in the day…and we had one of those nights recently. I had to work late and my hubby was picking up the lil man. Remember this food blog isn’t my full-time job, I work a “day job” at the local art center. We have a lot of events at the center and those are usually in the evening after we close. Usually when we have events, I have to stay late and that throws a kink in the dinner plans.  I have found a solution for these kind of nights, McDonald’s Happy Meals with Cuties. You know those “cute” little mandarin oranges that we all love!! Parents, like us, can feel good about Cuties, the fresh fruit choice available in Happy Meals and a la carte. Cuties are the anytime, anywhere wholesome treat for kids of all ages, and even parents. Not only are they naturally sweet and delicious, easy-to-peel and the perfect on-the-go snack.  The guys were so excited the other night when I brought McDonald’s home for dinner And I felt good about bringing it home for them Lil man had the Chicken McNuggets Happy Meal with four tender Chicken McNuggets made with white meat, kids-sized World Famous Fries and a Cuties and apple juice. Hubby had a Chicken McNuggets Extra Value Meal and I had the Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken. 

Win Free Stuff

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]]> http://www.beckysbestbites.com/happy-family-moments-mcdonalds-and-cuties/feed/ 292 http://www.beckysbestbites.com/eboxtops-help-raise-money-for-your-school-giveaway/ http://www.beckysbestbites.com/eboxtops-help-raise-money-for-your-school-giveaway/#comments Wed, 20 Jan 2016 18:35:29 +0000 http://www.beckysbestbites.com/?p=3459 Learn the easy way eBoxTops Help Raise Money For Your School and enter for your chance to win a $15 PayPal Cash Giveaway just for enrolling in the eBoxTops program. Now that lil man is in kindergarten, I know just how important it is to help raise funds for our schools. They need all the […]

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Learn the easy way eBoxTops Help Raise Money For Your School and enter for your chance to win a $15 PayPal Cash Giveaway just for enrolling in the eBoxTops program.

Now that lil man is in kindergarten, I know just how important it is to help raise funds for our schools. They need all the help that they can get in fundraising dollars to help to purchase necessities and supplies for our children and we, as parents, want to help. But we don’t really want or need to buy any more popcorn or cookie dough and we don’t really want to give up part of our weekend for a car wash or bake sale.

I have known about the BoxTops program for years and have collected them for my sister’s school (she is a 5th grade teacher) and now that lil man is in my life and going to school, I collect them for his school as well.

I was so excited to learn about Winn Dixie’s eBoxTops program! eBoxTops help raise money for your school and make it super easy!!

Now you can earn extra cash for your school all year long with Winn-Dixie and eBoxTops!

Signing up for eBoxTops is super easy and quick!
1) Log in to your Winn-Dixie account or sign up for a new account HERE.
2) Enroll in Box Tops for Education, select your school, and link it to your Winn-Dixie account
3) Once you all set, add eBoxTops offers to your account (by clipping the coupons) and earn cash for your school when you buy participating products at Winn-Dixie. There are new offers every month!

eBoxTops Help Raise Money For Your School! This month’s offer: Get 5 eBoxTops when you purchase any two participating products, valid through January 31, 2016.

The participating products are:

• Go-Gurt (8 or 16 ct)
• Nature Valley Bars
• Totino’s Pizza Rolls
• General Mills Fruit Snacks
• Pillsbury Toaster Strudel
• Select General Mills Cereal , including Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, Dora the Explorer, Golden Grahams, Honey Kix, Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Reese’s Puffs, Spongebob Squarepants Fruit, Star Wars, Total and Trix.
• Pillsbury Crescent Rolls or Grands! Biscuits (8 ct)

I picked up the Limited Edition Star Wars Lucky Charms for lil man because he is all about anything Star Wars right now and a new kind of Cheeries that I was curious about. I also grabbed more (because I already have several boxes in my pantry and in my desk at war) of the Nature Valley Simple Nut Bars. They are great for me at work and also work well for lunchboxes. I love that they are made with simple ingredients that I can actually pronounce

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]]> http://www.beckysbestbites.com/eboxtops-help-raise-money-for-your-school-giveaway/feed/ 57 http://www.beckysbestbites.com/thank-you-win-amazon-gift-card/ http://www.beckysbestbites.com/thank-you-win-amazon-gift-card/#comments Thu, 14 Jan 2016 04:59:02 +0000 http://www.beckysbestbites.com/?p=3429 I want to take a quick departure today from my normal recipe posts and put up a quick post with a chance for you to win Amazon Gift Card as a big THANK YOU to my readers! This blog has grown by leaps and bounds over the past year and I can’t thank you enough!! Here […]

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]]> I want to take a quick departure today from my normal recipe posts and put up a quick post with a chance for you to win Amazon Gift Card as a big THANK YOU to my readers! This blog has grown by leaps and bounds over the past year and I can’t thank you enough!! Here is your chance to win Amazon Gift Card! It has been a crazy year, but I am so thankful for all of my readers and everyone who has really helped me take Becky’s Best Bites to the next level!!

So to thank you, I have teamed up with these awesome bloggers to offer you a chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card There are 12 ways to enter and they are all super easy plus you get to follow some amazing bloggers in the process Here are the awesome bloggers that are included and please check out their blogs!! They are all amazing

• Seasonal Family Fun
• Dorky’s Deals
• All My Good Things

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Win Free Stuff

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]]> http://www.beckysbestbites.com/thank-you-win-amazon-gift-card/feed/ 9 http://www.beckysbestbites.com/spread-cheer-easy-holiday-treats/ http://www.beckysbestbites.com/spread-cheer-easy-holiday-treats/#comments Mon, 30 Nov 2015 20:58:33 +0000 http://www.beckysbestbites.com/?p=3282 Spread Cheer with Easy Holiday Treats from Betty Crocker cookies this Christmas season. Share your creations for a chance to win the $20 giveaway entry. Also be sure to grab the coupons and free printables. Yum The holiday season shouldn’t be all about what gifts you receive (the latest toy, electronic gadget, jewelry, etc.), it […]

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Spread Cheer with Easy Holiday Treats from Betty Crocker cookies this Christmas season. Share your creations for a chance to win the $20 giveaway entry. Also be sure to grab the coupons and free printables.

Yum
The holiday season shouldn’t be all about what gifts you receive (the latest toy, electronic gadget, jewelry, etc.), it should also be about giving back to others. I really wanted to teach that to lil man and now that I am officially his “step-mom,” I thought that I had the authority  So since we had him this weekend and my sister was in town with lil Z, I thought that it was the perfect time to have a little baking fun with the boys!! I am so happy that I learned about the Betty Crocker #SpreadCheer campaign and we were excited to get started!! I am the first to admit that I am not a good baker!! I tend to have issues with baking because I don’t really measure anything out I just “eye-ball it” and that doesn’t work with baking  But thankfully these Betty Crocker Cookie Mixes are pretty much fool-proof or should I say “Becky-proof!!” LOL You just add oil and an egg and then mix. There are no shopping lists needed and minimal time in the kitchen so you can spend more time on other fun holiday activities and spending time with your loved ones

Click –> HERE <— For a Coupon to save money so you can #SpreadCheer with Easy Holiday Treats!

Lil man started with a little practice on decorating while I was getting out everything we needed. He colored these cute cookie coloring pages, which you can pick up for kiddos —> HERE! Next got to do the baking part all by himself (Z man was taking a much needed nap) and he was super excited to be the center of attention (check out all those grins for the camera) He was able to do it all by himself thanks to the ease of these cookie mixes and I let him shape them anyway that he wanted to 

Z man woke up from his nap and he was ready to #SpreadCheer too, so they got to decorating their cookies!! They decided that they were thankful for Grammy and Gramps the most and so that is who they wanted to give their cookies to  They really got into the decorating and tasting of the cookies, but we all had such a blast watching them Aren’t my lil Gator boys just the cutest????

After the boys were all done and we cleaned up their sticky hands, face and clothes, we packaged up their creations in a fun holiday tin for Grammy and Gramps!!

We added some of these fun printable gift tags from Betty Crocker to the tin to make it extra special for Grammy and Gramps!!

Now it is your turn!!

It’s Christmas Eve Eve Eve Let’s #SpreadCheer! Here ~> ooh.li/794e718 Need $20? goo.gl/TKEWx6 #ad (clickable link in my profile) #ontheblog #givingseason #christmas #yum #giveaway

A photo posted by Rebecca Brosemer Miller (@beckybestbites) on Dec 22, 2015 at 6:55am PST

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]]> http://www.beckysbestbites.com/spread-cheer-easy-holiday-treats/feed/ 19 http://www.beckysbestbites.com/olive-and-pistachio-pesto/ http://www.beckysbestbites.com/olive-and-pistachio-pesto/#comments Fri, 27 Nov 2015 13:19:47 +0000 http://www.beckysbestbites.com/?p=3244 Mezzetta Olive and Pistachio Pesto is a easy holiday recipe that the whole family can enjoy! Enter to win a holiday memories sharing pack with their easy entry giveaway!! #MezzettaMemories #ad Yum   I can’t believe that it is already Thanksgiving  😯 I usually love all things holidays, the food, family and friends gathering and […]

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Mezzetta Olive and Pistachio Pesto is a easy holiday recipe that the whole family can enjoy! Enter to win a holiday memories sharing pack with their easy entry giveaway!! #MezzettaMemories #ad

Yum

 

I can’t believe that it is already Thanksgiving  I usually love all things holidays, the food, family and friends gathering and of course all the wonderful memories that are made each year. But this year I am totally unprepared and if you know me, that has my anxiety at an all-time high!!

The wedding was just a week and a half ago, followed by our wonderful honeymoon and then my brother-in-law’s surprize birthday party!! I haven’t really had time to even think about Thanksgiving and here it is!! Oh well, let’s just embrace it and concentrate on keeping it simple and enjoying being with our family and friends 

Speaking of keeping it simple, I wanted to put together something for us to munch on before the BIG MEAL I decided on trying something a little bit different and I have been wanting to make a tapenade for a while (I really can’t believe that I have never made one), but wanted it to be simplier and I didn’t want to make a trip to the store I didn’t have any sundried tomatoes or capers and we aren’t big on anchovies, so instead I came up with my Olive and Pistachio Pesto.

The star of my Olive and Pistachio Pesto is the Mezzetta Olives! Family owned since 1935, the fourth generation of Mezzetta family is continuing the commitment to bring their customers the highest quality foods available. They source the finest fresh produce from the sun-drenched soils of California, Italy, Spain, France, and Greece and prepare them according to our Italian family recipes at our state-of-the-art production facility in the Napa Valley. And let me tell you, you can taste the difference and the quality of these olives!! I let the Mezzetta Olives shine by only adding mild pistachios, garlic and fresh lemon!!

My Olive and Pistachio Pesto couldn’t be simplier and you let the food processor do all the work!! It takes all of 5 minutes to make, so you can spend more time with your family and friends creating those holiday memories 

I paired this Olive and Pistachio Pesto with my Healthy Pita Chips. I also served it with the Mezzetta Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives on the side. Those are so good just to munch on themselves!!

My Olive and Pistachio Pesto is so versatile!! You could use it as a dip, as I did here, or you could use as a different appetizer by spreading goat cheese onto lightly toasted croutons and then topping them with the pesto…YUM!! Or if you are looking for something to do with your leftover turkey, might I suggest my Leftover Turkey Pesto Pasta, using this Olive and Pistachio Pesto as the pesto??? 

Who’s ready for a fun giveaway? Me, me, me The Mezzetta Holiday Memories Sweepstakes is going on right now on their landing page!! There you can find daily recipe inspiration and the super easy entry giveaway!! You can win this and an instant share digital camera.

Here is your recipe for Olive and Pistachio Pesto:

5.0 from 3 reviews

Olive and Pistachio Pesto

 

Save Print

Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

Author: Becky's Best Bites

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2 cloves fresh garlic
• 1 jar (10 oz.) Mezzetta Garlic Stuffed Olives
• 1 jar (10 oz.) Mezzetta Sliced Greek Kalamata Olives
• 5 oz. shelled roasted pistachios
• Zest and juice of one lemon

Instructions

1. Place garlic in the food processor, alone, and pulse until finely chopped. Scrap down the sides of the food processor bowl.
2. Add olives, pistachios, lemon zest and lemon juice.
3. Pulse in short, quick bursts until everything is chopped and combined.
4. Chill for an hour and then serve with Pita Chips and Mezzetta Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives.
5. Enjoy!!

3.5.3208

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]]> http://www.beckysbestbites.com/olive-and-pistachio-pesto/feed/ 26 http://www.beckysbestbites.com/chicken-marsala-panko-bread-crumbs/ http://www.beckysbestbites.com/chicken-marsala-panko-bread-crumbs/#comments Wed, 20 May 2015 02:26:37 +0000 http://www.beckysbestbites.com/?p=2548 Edit Chicken Marsala with Parmesan and Panko Bread Crumbs Topping is your secret for turning an average week night meal to an award winning feast! See how I #MixItUp in the kitchen with Progresso Bread Crumbs at Publix. Also enter to win with my PayPal Giveaway.   What’s your secret for turning a seemingly bland weekday […]

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Chicken Marsala with Parmesan and Panko Bread Crumbs Topping is your secret for turning an average week night meal to an award winning feast! See how I #MixItUp in the kitchen with Progresso Bread Crumbs at Publix. Also enter to win with my PayPal Giveaway.

 

What’s your secret for turning a seemingly bland weekday meal into a decadent feast? Cooking with versatile Bread Crumbs from Progresso is an excellent, easy way to take an average dish and make it award winning meal!  I was able to turn a simple chicken dinner into a birthday celebration for my sister with Chicken Marsala with Parmesan and Panko Bread Crumbs Topping.

I cooked this recipe for my sister’s birthday, which of course, is a very special occasion, but the recipe is easy enough for any weeknight dinner! Let them think it is fancy but it is really pretty easy!! In fact bread crumbs are an easy, inexpensive way to add some variety to your family dinners! Is your family tired of sitting down to the same meals every week? Give them what they are looking for with Bread Crumbs from Progresso you can mix things up and bring some excitement back to dinner!

Are you ready to #MixItUp? If so, grab your coupon <<HERE>> for Progresso Bread Crumbs, like I did at Publix!

My recipe for Chicken Marsala with Parmesan and Panko Bread Crumbs Topping might seem like a bit much for a weeknight meal by the pictures, but I wanted to capture as much of the steps visually for you…I promise it is much easier than it looks

Just look at how crispy and delicous these chicken cutlets look when they are all finished!! The secret weapon for all that crispy goodness is Progresso Bread Crumbs!! They just elevate this recipe from good to FANTASTIC!!

 

Oh ya…let’s get in a little closer to really see all the crunchy goodness!! The Progresso Bread Crumbs keep the outside of this chicken nice and crispy, while the inside stays moist and flavorful!! Perfect combo!!

I served this Chicken Marsala with Parmesan and Panko Bread Crumbs Topping with my Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Arugula Salad with my Roasted Garlic Dressing (which are all my sister’s favs).

Here is your recipe for Chicken Marsala with Parmesan and Panko Bread Crumbs Topping:

5.0 from 4 reviews

Chicken Marsala with Parmesan and Panko Bread Crumbs Topping + PayPal Giveaway

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Author: Becky's Best Bites

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. each of cracked pepper and sea salt
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets
• 6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 tbsp. butter, divided
• 1 large garlic clove, pressed or finely minced
• 1 cup marsala wine
• 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms
• 1cup Progresso Panko Bread Crumbs
• ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. In a large plastic bag combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
2. Working 2-3 chicken breasts at a time, drizzle the chicken breasts with a small amount of the olive oil and rub into both sides. Then add the chicken breasts to the bag with the flour mixture and toss well.
3. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp. of the olive oil and the garlic. Once hot and the garlic has browned slightly add the chicken and cook it for about 5 minutes per side, or until both sides or golden brown. Complete with all chicken.
5. Add chicken to a foil-lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
6. Place chicken in the oven to complete cooking..
7. While the chicken is finishing, add the wine and mushrooms to the pan and simmer the mixture for an additional 10 minutes or so. Adding 1 tbsp. butter at the end to finish off the sauce.
8. While the mushrooms are cooking, melt the remaining butter and combine it with the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a separate small bowl. Add additional olive oil if needed to get a nice consistency that sticks together.Set aside
9. Turn your oven broiler to high.
10. When the chicken is done, mound a pile of the Parmesan Panko breadcrumbs topping over each chicken cutlet and place it under the broiler for a minute or two, or until golden brown. Do NOT leave the broiler - watch it carefully through the oven door for the entire time.
11. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, pasta or quinoa and drizzle with the marsala mushroom sauce over. Serve warm!

3.3.3070

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