*{Let Them Eat Cake}*

I finally did it.  I had been wanting to make the cake balls and cake pops that I had seen on Bakerella's website for an eternity (or so it seemed!).

They are fabulous!  I had never seen such a thing before and was excited to try them.  My friend Leslie was just as excited and next time I want to make them together. Baking + Friends = *FUN*

Anyway, after hearing about a  mexican dinner fundraiser for my friend Steven, who has bone cancer, I decided to make the cake balls/pops for the bake sale portion. Steven has to travel to Chicago (about a 3-4 hour drive) for treatments, so this fundraiser was to help with those expenses.  I was hoping they might fetch a little higher price than a chocolate chip cookie so that we could gather as much donation money as we could for Steven & his family. From what I heard later, the fundraiser was a complete success!  A lot of people spent many hours planning it and they pulled it off beautifully. I enjoyed cooking, baking and serving for this event. It really feels good to serve others in their time of need. Heaven knows I've had friends and family serving my own family in our time of need, so I'm glad that I was able to repay a little of what was done in the past for myself.

Anyway,I didn't make the cake balls/pops too fancy, but I hear they flew off the table, so I must have done something right! Next time I would like to make different fun pops. Maybe flower shaped or Hello Kitty shaped. That would be fun! Aren't they cute?  Bakerella is the queen of baking!

Anyway, if you're wondering what a cake ball/pop is, here is the low-down.

I baked a boxed cake mix in a 13x9 pan. Let it cool and then broke it all up into pieces.  I thought that might feel liberating, but truthfully, it just felt....wrong. I felt like I ruined the cake! Haha.

Next, I mixed all the cake crumbles with a can of cream cheese frosting.  This is a messy process, but nonetheless FUN.  I rolled most of them into quarter sized balls.  Some I made extra big. The small ones where pop in your mouth-able, while the larger ones were meant to be eaten with a fork.  Well, actually, you could just take a big 'ol bite out of those too. Doesn't matter when it's so tasty!

Next, I put them in the fridge to firm them up. To go faster, I froze some of them (I'm always behind and late for events!).  For the cake pops, lollipop sticks were inserted and then dipped in melted chocolate or white chocolate coating.  They turned out cute!  I wrapped them in cellophane tied with a twisty and they were ready to sell.

The cake balls were dipped, finished off and placed into a small cupcake liner. Or a big liner for the monster ones.

I made double chocolate balls and pops. And red velvet balls dipped in white chocolate. Next time I might use a home made cake mix instead of a store bought one. I think they would be tastier made from scratch.

Of course I HAD to try one....

....or 5.

 Mmm....delicious!

Try it Tuesday.....Hershey Goodies Straight From The Factory!

I know, I know. It's about time I got back on track with Try It Tuesday's! Summer is always busy and I just haven't had the energy. Plus, I have to fight with 4 kids to use the computer on summer days. One computer doesn't really work for 5 people.

Anyway, we went on a trip with the hubby (he had business) last month and stopped in Hershey, PA! What can I say about this sweet town?! It's cute, it's quaint and smells sooo yummy. I'm not kidding. We rolled our windows down and could get nice, big whiffs of cocoa coming from the Hershey Chocolate Factory. The whole town is centered around the highly popular chocolate. Even the street lamps are shaped like Hershey Kisses!

The street names are just as sweet.

Before I get to the review, here are a few more photos that I took while we were there. Please bear with me on the pictures...I'm not so great at taking them from a moving vehicle!

Heading into town from the east (we were in Lancaster, PA first), we were greeted by a yummy sign.

It's kind of hard to see, but the bushes spell out, "Hershey Cocoa". The real factory is behind it.

Don't get me wrong, it was fun for the kids (Molly is in the photo above). But I was a bit let down because I really wanted to see the whole process in action. Instead we got to look at fake candy bars being made. *sigh*

And fake cocoa beans rolling down the conveyor belt.

One fun thing about this tour, was that it wasn't a walking tour. We rode in a fun car (of course I didn't take pictures of that part because I just didn't think of it! Duh) that took us along and spun us around to see things. Ava especially enjoyed the cute cows with their moving heads singing about how the chocolate couldn't be made unless milk is used.

After the free tour (which we took one more time after this I might add) we watched the cutest 3-D movie! This wasn't free, but $5 for kids and $6 for adults wasn't too bad. I thought it was just going to be 3-D, but it was interactive too. We had great fun watching Ava try to grab the floating Hershey Kisses and Milk Duds, while we also got sprayed with sweet smelling cocoa, sprayed with 'milk' (water) and confetti dropped on us all while our seats wriggled and things felt like they were tickling our legs! Great fun I tell ya. I felt like we were at Disney for a bit!

We could have gone on to a chocolate tasting adventure show, but time wouldn't allow. Those shows filled up quite fast. We did get to see a Reeses Nascar race car though which thrilled Brycen. Doesn't he look thrilled?

There were plenty of other things to do in Hershey.... like take a trolley tour, go to the Hershey Museum, learn how to make chocolate etc. But time wasn't on our side. Plus, it was expensive and a man who worked at Chocolate World said the kids would get bored because most was geared towards adults. And to think I believed him and and we didn't do any more fun things! Later, I heard they were still fun for kids and that we just should have atleast gone to the museum. Oh well. Next time.

While in Hershey....well, everywhere we went in PA actually...I saw the most beautiful homes. They love to build with stone and I love to gawk at all the beautious architecture! There were a few mansions right on the main drag in Hershey that were SO lovely, but I couldn't get a good shot of them. I did, however, get one of this small stone home. It's not a great shot, mind you..but it shows some stone that I just loved! I could have just walked all along this main road if hubby would have let me. Even in the rain! Yes, it rained all day while we were there. :( Our oldest daughter, Jillian couldn't come with us on this trip because she had to work, but we brought back a large personalized Hershey Bar for her to munch on. Speaking of candy, the Hershey Chocolate World really pushed the shopping! The main area is one big store with anything and everything you would want to eat, wear, play with or cook with. Anyone up for some tiny Hershey Kiss shaped salt & pepper shakers for $15?! They did have some cool vintage looking tins and vintage looking shirts, but we passed on them. Actually, the prices on candy weren't too bad. No mark up in the price...they were the same that I pay at Target. I thought for an attraction, they would have sky high prices. But I guess they really don't need distributors with the factory so close do they?! Ok, on to the Try It Tuesday part! After both the free tour and the 3-D movie, we were given little treats! They were both new products, so I thought they would be perfect to review. After the 3-D movie, we were given Twizzlers Sweet & Sour Filled Twists. Below is not a great photo. Sorry. I know it's out of focus, but atleast you get to look at the beautiful sarong (is that the right word?) of the person behind the candy.

These taste lemony (yellow) and cherry. The insides are a soft candy that packs a punch! I'm not much of a fan of the sour part, but my kids loved them! I'm not sure if they are in stores yet, but when they are, I'm sure kids all over will like 'em.


After the free 'factory tour' (blech), we were given little handfuls of the new Hershey Chocolate Meltaway. I have no idea if these are out either, but I doubt they will make much of a hit. I wonder if they are a limited edition. They remind me of the Hot Chocolate flavor that was out last winter. They are tastier than the Hot Chocolate, but like their Meltaway name, they melt away *in*your*hand*. Once you take them out of the foil, don't wait too long to actually eat it. The soft center makes them melty all right.
And there you have it. Our small little jaunt to Hershey, PA. Next time I go, I'm going to visit Hershey Gardens plus I'm staying at one of their hotels and soaking in a chocolate bath!

More to come about the rest our east coast business/vacation trip! A little Fairfax, VA, Washington D.C. and a small trip to the Washington D.C. LDS Temple!

This sign on the factory tour building explains that it's a free tour. I was expecting to see 'real' chocolate being made in a 'real' factory. Nope. Not gonna happen. The whole thing was a fake tour.
We are now entering Hershey's Chocolate World! Inside is the free factory tour, shopping, eateries, a 3-D movie etc. Plus the theme park is right next to this building below.

Try it Tuesday.....Strawberried Peanut Butter M&M's

Strawberried Peanut Butter M&M's? I should have known it was that time of year. Remember the Cherry M&M's and the Razzberry M&M's? Yep, Limited Edition time. This time the candy is tied in with the 2nd Transformers movie coming out soon.

The check-out girl at Walgreens asked me if I'd like to try these M&M's along with the Snickers bar that has a yellow nougat center (not appealing to me at all). I decided to try the Strawberried M&M's because I looooove the little round critters and could pretty much live off them if need be. Not the strawberry ones, but the plain milk chocolate ones, the peanut or the almond ones. Mmm.

Ok, review time. Surprisingly, there is only a hint of strawberry in these. I tasted it at first and as I ate it, I noticed that he strawberry gives way to the peanut butter taste. So by the time you eat a few, you are pretty much only tasting the peanut butter. If you want to savor the strawberry part, eat only one or 2. I'm not kidding. Oh and don't expect a 'real' strawberry taste here. These aren't gourmet..they are M&M's.

The check-out girl said there was NO milk chocolate in these, so I was a bit skeptical about just eating pb with strawberry. I was expecting it to be like a pb & j sandwich. Wrong. And the check-out girl was wrong. There IS milk chocolate. Sooo much better.

So basically these M&M's look like regular PB ones...bigger than average sized M&M's. They come in red, yellow and brown (like the colors matter to the taste!) and the yellows have red speckles (again, it doesn't matter, so why am I bringing this up?) I'm thinking the strawberry taste might be in the shell or the milk chocolate, but there is more pb than either of those, so the pb tastes overpowers the strawberry. Hence, like I said before, there is only a hint of strawberry. Seems to me, the razzberry was the same with only a hint of the taste. Personally, I like it that way.

I like them (not enough to fall in love), and Jillian thinks they are good, but like me, she prefers plain M&M's. Molly wouldn't even try one at first! She thought they sounded icky and truthfully, I cringed a little when I saw them too. I forced Molly to try one (shocker that I had to force a kid to eat an M&M!). Quickly, her hand shot out for more, so I'm assuming she likes them. The other kids aren't around, so ya snooze, you lose. :)

Rumor has that there are also Limited Edition Coconut M&M's coming out this summer or are already out. I dislike coconut with a crazy, don't come near me with that stuff passion, so I won't be trying these. You wanna try them? Knock yourself out, but don't even look at me while you're eating them or I will barf.




This past week I also tried Jet Puffed Mallow Bites. Did you know they made these?? My friendly Target had them on the shelf in a little reclosable zipper bag for $1.49. Do you like those milk chocolate covered bunnies that are sold at Easter? It's just like eating those! Tastes exactly the same. Only it's your average mini marshmallow dipped in milk chocolate. Mmm. Delish! Eat them straight out of the bag or plunk a few in your hot cocoa. I loved it in my cocoa. It was a cold rainy day, so hot cocoa with a few (or zillion) of these hit the spot. The Nutrition Facts state the calories/fat etc for 2 servings per bag, -OR- they know what pigs we all are, so they included the nutrition facts for the whole bag. 1/2 bag (24 mallows), 130 calories, 5 grams of fat. Entire package? 300 calories, 11 grams of fat. Hmm. Something wrong with those numbers. That's more than double the 1/2 bag. Whatever. Better to weigh it using grams to be more accurate. If you're not counting fat and calories, it doesn't matter does it?! Just go out and get some of these and ENJOY. :)

Try it Tuesday.....Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats Little Bites!

My oh my. I have a *new* favorite cereal! Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats Little Bites in chocolate flavor!

I spied these in an ad and then spied them on the shelf at my local Meijer grocery store.

The box is small, but still contains 14.5 ounces of cereal. It was kind of expensive, but I wanted to try it anyway. I bet if I get them at Wal-mart and have a coupon, I can save some money. I know a lot of people don't like Wal-mart, but in this economy, I need to save where I can.

Let's get to the nutritionals first. A serving size is 52 biscuits! Ok, ok..don't get too excited. I did say they were, "mini" bites. A 52 biscuit serving is actually 55 grams. I ate the whole box (not at once! What do you take me for people?!) so I can't go back and measure how much 55 grams is, but the box does say there are 7 servings in the whole thing.

Each serving has 200 calories, 2 grams of fat (half of that being saturated) and 6 grams of fiber. I love me some fiber! 6 grams is pretty good. With 5 grams of protein and that 6 grams of fiber, I feel full after a bowl of these babies. They do have 45 grams of carbs though. But I believe diabetics can subtract the fiber from the carbs which would make 39 carbs.

Ok, on to the taste! Well, let's start with how they look. They are cute as a button. Teeny weeny little mini wheats! Ok, I'm going all crazy about this cereal and it's making me sound creepy. Cereal creepy. Sorry.

Seriously though, these little bites of cereal are about half the size of regular mini wheats. I like this because with regular mini wheats, I have to kind of wait for them to soak a little bit of the milk before I can eat them. Nothing is less fun to eat than hard, dry mini wheats. Ick. With the little bites, they quickly soak up that milk.

How do they taste? Well, they are mini-licious! I really like them. They are cocoa-ey, yet it's not sickeningly sweet at all. I can't say they would cure me if I needed a chocolate fix though. It's just not that kind of chocolate. It almost reminds me of how the hot cereal, chocolate Cream of Wheat tastes. But much better of course.

The main reason I like this cereal is the texture. I'm a weird person when it comes to eating certain foods. I enjoy my food a little more if there is a good texture. Weird, I know. Anyway, these Mini Wheat Little Bites have a little something inside that gives them a bit of a soft crunch. I hope that describes it well. After eating them, I wondered what it was, so I looked at the ingredients and low and behold, I found out they are mini chocolate chips! Next time I eat them, I'm going to tear one apart to actually see the chips, because I didn't really taste actual chocolate chips when I ate them. I only enjoyed the soft crunch thinking it was the wheat part.

This is a "hide from the kids" kind of cereal because I know they would eat the whole box in one day if I didn't moniter them! Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats Little Bites also come in Honey Nut flavor. Has anyone else tried that flavor? Because I have yet to do so. I'm wondering if it's as good as the chocolate.

Next week I might turn away from reviewing food and weigh in on one of the Bzz Agent products I was recently sent. They are sending me quite a few lately. I love free stuff and I don't mind giving my thoughts on the products. It's fun to get little things (and sometimes BIG things!) in the mail. Weeeeee!

Try it Tuesday.....Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds 100 Calorie Pack

Have I mentioned how much I loooove Target? I think I could live there quite happily. I'm always finding just what I need there and just what I love. They have so many things that are my style. From socks to shoes to snacks. Now that my local store has a grocery section, I can try lots of goodies.

Recently, I found Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds. In a 100 calorie pack no less! When I saw that it said, dark chocolate, I was a bit skeptical. I'm not really into dark chocolate. I find it to be bitter. I took a chance and bought them anyway. It was in my favor this time because I really liked these almonds!

The chocolate is a dusting on the almonds. What I like about them is that there is no powdery residue that sticks to your fingers. It's not bitter at all either. It says dark chocolate, but it's actually just a light taste of cocoa. It reminds me of hot cocoa mix. Almost like they dipped the almond in it.

I love almonds. They are my favorite. I love chocolate dipped almonds, but hate the calories that comes with those babies. These Emerald Cocoa Roast almonds are a nice alternative. Actually, I was at a hockey game last weekend and the kids bought some big chocolate dipped almonds. I ate some, but quickly realized that I would have been just as happy eating these Cocoa Roast almonds. I think I'll keep a package or 2 in my purse or diaper bag. Because they come in 100 calorie packs, I will buy them often from now on. I totally love how they are only 2 WW points and very satisfying. Go try them and let me know what YOU think.


*Your Reviews Please*

I am in need of your reviews for the Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner system! I'm a Bzz Agent and they recently shipped me my own kit to use. We set it up and have been using it for a couple weeks now. I can't say I notice too much action from it though! I still see white soap scum on my shower door. I thought it was supposed to tackle that? And no, it wasn't there before. This is new scum since we started using the automatic cleaner. Hmmm. I'm not sure if I like this product. I really would like someone else's opinion that uses the Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner. Help!

Oh, and if you would like coupons to purchase your own system, let me know (email me at LDSLanie @ gmail dot com) and I will send one to you. I have a few $5 off coupons to be used by June 26, 2009. I believe you can buy the system for about $12-$15 at places like Wal-mart or Meijer.

Get yummies CHEAP!

Head on over to The Popcorn Factory for some winter deals. There are 18 items to choose from.

I was able to snag this Gold Stars and Swirls Sampler, for $6.99, plus able to use this code, P67, to get $5.00 off! $1.99 for goodies is my kind of deal!

Shipping was $5.99,but with the code, I ended up with a total of $7.99. Not too shabby considering the regular price was $19.99 plus shipping before the sale.

The cheapest item they have is the Holiday Dots Sampler which is $5.99. It's the same as what I ordered above, accept that it has mint candies and spice drops compared to the chocolate and sour chews that I ordered. And it comes in a red container instead of the gold. We are chocolate people, so that made me want to pay an extra dollar.

Now go to the website, click on the left hand side where it says, "Winter Sale", use the discount code P67, and get some sweet treats for the fam. Don't waste time in ordering since I don't know how long this sale will last. You know you want treats, so get over there pronto.

PS...the chocolate chip cookies are super yummo!

Chocolate Is A Staple Right?

I forgot to blog about this yummy treat way back in August. Jillian went to the Barnes & Noble in San Diego right at midnight when the book, "Breaking Dawn" came out. They had a costume party etc. She knew I would have loved to be there with her and my sister, but of course I couldn't be, so she brought home yummy Godiva for me. I didn't open that baby for over a month. Can you believe it?! I told Jillian that when I finally decided to eat it, I would share some with her. Ummm....I did NOT share. I'm a bad mamma. I ate the whole thing and loved every bit. Eek! I'll make it up to her by taking her to the, "Twilight" movie the first night that it's out. Wanna come with us?

We read all 4 books over the summer. Which one was the best? My personal opinion was that Eclipse was the best. Which one was the least exciting? Twilight. Again, my personal opinion. The other 2 were good and you have to read them all to get the whole story. If you like discussions on the book, "Breaking Dawn" and the Twilight saga, you can check out the one from Mormon Mommy Wars back in August.
Here is the link.

Has anyone read, "The Host" also written by Stephenie Meyer? I heard one review that it wasn't as good as the person thought, but does anyone else have an opinion? Should I spend the money on it as a Christmas gift for Jillian?

Try it Tuesday......Pringles Restaurant Cravers

Wal-mart is the only store to sell these limited edition flavors of Pringles. The Pringles website makes no mention of these flavors. They also fail to mention anything about my favorite Honey Mustard flavor. Wal-mart is also the only place that sells the limited edition Honey Mustard.

I hear there are these flavors of the Restaurant Cravers:

Cheesy Fries
Onion Blossom
Mexican Layered Dip
Slow Cooked BBQ
Mozzarella Sticks with Marinara

There could be more flavors, but since they don't advertise them on the Pringles site, I really wouldn't know until I actually see them on the shelves.

My photo above shows that my family tried the Onion Blossom and the Mexican Layered Dip. Not shown is the Cheesy Fries. We tried those, but the can came up missing when I went to take a photo of it. Macie tends to sneak food to her room, so I bet I would find it in her mini snack station if I looked hard enough. Her snack station is the outside edges of her bunk bed inbetween the mattress and the wood! I'm always finding wrappers, cups, boxes of crackers etc. For such a skinny person, that girl can EAT!

Anyway, here is what I think of the new Pringles flavors:

Onion Blossom: I liked these. They are a bit spicy because the horseradish flavor. It seems to be prominent. I love dipping deep fried onions in horseradish dip at restaurants. Mmm. So this one is something I'd buy again.

Mexican Layered Dip: Not a big fan. Too much jalapeno flavor. It's ok, but I doubt I'd buy them again. Especially since they are still in the cupboard mostly full. I guess everyone in the household feels the same as I do.

Cheesy Fries: These are good. Cheesy, but not too cheesy. I don't taste much else. They kind of taste like a plain old cheese chip to me, but I'd buy them again. My kids said they taste some potato-ey flavor that resembles french fries, but I didn't really taste that. Then again, they are a potato chip! Duh.

All of these new chips really have to be taste tested by you instead of taking my word for it. I tried to eat them at separate times so that the flavors didn't run together. I tried them in the morning so I could get a fresh perspective before I ate anything else. But I still think you will have to be the judge. I can't wait to try the other flavors offered, but my local store only had the 3 above.

Wanna know what flavor I think they should have made? Creamy Spinach dip! Mmm. That would be a good restaurant flavor. I could eat a bowl of that dip myself. Making it into a chip would be something I'd drive across town to buy from Wally World. Yum, yum, yummo!


Seen in an Ad: Pumpkin Spice flavored Hershey Kisses! Target is the only store exclusively selling them. I don't like pumpkin flavored anything, so that will be something someone else can review for me. Last year Target had the Candy Corn flavored Hershey Kisses, but I don't think I ever got around to trying them. Maybe I'll look for them again this year.

And speaking of fall and Halloween....While rummaging in the basement, I found Brycen's old Bee costume. It's soooo soft and cute! Another Target find. I think I'll put Miss Ava in it this year since she looooves The Bee Movie. At only 15 months old, she can sit thru probably half of it. Yes, I am a bad Mama letting her watch t.v. She loves it tho! She only watches it when Brycen does since he likes it too. I think she will make a cute little buzzing bee for Halloween. It will be her first year to actually do any trick-or-treating. Fun!

P.S.....I forgot to publish my blogoverary post, so if you feel like scrolling, there is a little blurp just below this post on September 15th. My blog has turned 1! Weeeeee!

Try it Tuesday.....M&M Premiums

Well, I guess it was inevitable. Everyone is moving uptown. Hershey has the new Bliss Chocolates, so I'm not surprised that M&M's has turned fancy too. Just last month M&M's began selling a new upscale version of their chocolate candies. M&M Premiums. I saw the add for them in Sunday's paper. It was a Target ad of course. But I ended up buying mine at Meijer. I can't even find information about them on the M&M site! Talk about new huh? But since they are out at stores, I couldn't resist trying some. M&M's are some of my very best friends ;).

They have several flavors:

Mint Chocolate
Triple Chocolate
Raspberry Almond Chocolate
Mocha
and Milk Chocolate Almond

Well, at $3.99 a box, I could only afford to try one flavor. I went for the mint because I looove mint chocolate.

The boxes are "premium" looking with a resealable bag on the inside. There aren't many candies in it, but that's what I expect for premium.

Here is what the box says about the chocolate mint flavor:

Sinfully good white chocolate mint wrapped in dark chocolate.

White chocolate! Mmmm.


These M&M's seem to be about the same size as the peanut butter M&M's. The colors are different from any other M&M though. They have a sponged look but with a metallic like sheen. Almost pearlized. They have the signature white, "M" in the center.

Now the texture...well...it's just not the same as a standard M&M. M&M's usually have a candy coating. The Premium M&M's don't. No crunchy candy coating at all. It's just not the same. I miss the crunch. It's just a soft M&M. But that might appeal to some people.

The taste is ok. I can see why it's premium. The mint flavor is rich and I can only eat a few at a time. Perfect for an after dinner mint. There isn't too much of a dark chocolate taste, but I can tell it's still there. The slight bitterness combined with the rich taste, keeps me from eating more than one or two at a time.

I want to try the chocolate almond some time since I think almonds are tasty. I do wish they would come up with something different rather than just almond though. How about macadamia nuts? That would be a nice change. Macadamia's are more on the premium side in my opinion.


While at the M&M site, I saw the advertisement for personalized M&M's. Most of us are aware of those already. I've always wanted to buy some, but haven't yet. What caught my eye is the new personalized M&M's with faces! You can add a photo to your M&M's now! Woot! I love it. It's about time. Check it out: M&M Faces
Cool huh?

Edit: Thank you to my darling daughter Jillian for taking pictures of the M&M premiums :)

Try it Tuesday.....Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Crackers

I saw these crackers on a commercial. My kids absolutely looooove Kraft Mac & Cheese, so I wondered if they were going to taste a bit like the actual stuff. I saw them at Wal-mart and picked up a box. I have to say I was quite skeptical, because I figured that there really hasn't been too many products out there that can mimic another enough to make it worth it. Can you say Oreo cereal?! Ew. They got that one way off.
Well...Kraft couldn't do it with these crackers either. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese crackers are a let down in my opinion.
-Sigh-
On the website, Kraft says this:

We've taken that Kraft Macaroni & Cheese taste your kids love and baked it into a new crispy cracker they can crunch!

Why do they lie like that? They don't taste like mac & cheese to me, although they do have the shape right. Even some are stuck together like the noodles can get after you prepare them. They are baked, which appeals better to me than fried crackers. But, of course I feel they taste just like the run of the mill Cheese Nip or Cheez-Its. Heck, Cheese Nips are made by Nabisco and so are Kraft Macaroni & Cheese crackers. No wonder they taste so similar. My kids weren't so impressed, but they will eat them anyway, because they like most cheese flavored crackers.

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese crackers come in 3 flavors: Cheddar, Mild Cheddar and White Cheddar. We tried the Mild Cheddar. Could this be my problem? Do I dare try another flavor and hope that I was just wrong about the Mild? Nah. I doubt it. I don't feel like wasting my money. All and all, it's a pick your nose boring review for a pick your nose boring product. Let's take bets on how long until these crackers leave the shelves and become a thing of the past.


Now on to bigger and better things. I have a recipe to share! It's not one that I've tried recently, but it's a tried and true recipe that I loooove.

This icing tastes a lot like hot fudge to me. I love to ice a Texas sheet cake with it. I simply make the icing while the cake is baking and then pour the icing on top of the hot cake. It sets up nicely after it cools. You can also put it on a 13x9 cake, but I usually don't put it on until the icing has cooled a bit. If I put it on while it's hot, it tends to drip down the sides of the cake and settle on the bottom. My kids did like it that way though. There was still plenty on the top and then they had a chocolatey surprise waiting on the bottom. Also, I omit the nuts because my hubby isn't a fan, but I bet it would be just as fabulous if you add pecans or walnuts. Mmm.

The recipe was simply called, "icing" in a recipe book, but I renamed it to, "Hot Fudge Icing". I don't have the WW points for it, but you could run it through a recipe builder such as the one at the Nutrition Data website to figure it out.



Hot Fudge Icing

Ingredients:
6 TB butter or stick margarine
1/3 c. milk
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
3 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c. chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

To prepare icing, combine 6 TB butter or margarine, milk and 1/4 c. cocoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and gradually stir in powdered sugar, nuts and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Spread over hot cake. Enjoy!!

Try it Tuesday.....Wildly Cherry M&M's

I saw these Wildly Cherry M&M's in my local gas station (same spot that I saw the Razzberry M&M's awhile back). I had to try them of course. I've been nibbling on a couple here and there out of the small bag for over a week. I still can't tell if they are milk chocolate or dark! I'm thinking it's dark, but the package doesn't say. I suppose if I ate more than 1 or 2 at a time, I'd be able to tell huh? But I'm stingy with my calories each day now that I'm trying to lose weight (again!) after having a baby. According to the website, they came out in February, but I'm just seeing them for the first time. Like the Razzberry, they are a limited addition.

Anyway, my review is this:
If you like cordial cherries, then you will probably like these Wildly Cherry M&M's. They are similar to real cherries and not the fake cherry flavored candies that you might expect. I really really like Cella chocolate covered cherries, so I like these M&M's. I don't "love" them though. I'm guessing they must be a slight dark chocolate although the package never says. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my opinion that they are dark chocolate.

A small 1.5 ounce bag is 5 WW points just like regular milk chocolate M&M's. I'm happy to report that they do have 2 grams of fiber :)

Try a bag for yourself and then tell me if you think they are dark or milk chocolate okay? Try them if only because you think the little M&M guy hanging off the cherry stem is cute cute cute on the package!

PS...speaking of M&M's...I'm going to order some of the personalized ones soon. I'll take a picture and share it later. I won't say more than that, because they are for a gift :)

PPS...speaking of gifts...I owe my MIL a gift since her birthday was last Saturday. But she was sick and so were we. I'll catch up to you later Mom! Happy Late birthday! My Dad shares the same birth date, but he isn't a computer person, so he won't see my birthday message, but still...Happy Birthday Dad!