Tempt My Tummy Tuesday - Betty Crocker Mississippi Mud Supreme Bars with a Twist

Phew, that was a mouthful!

Betty Crocker I AM NOT. But every once in awhile I amaze even myself.

This weekend I wowed my family with the new Betty Crocker Mississippi Mud Supreme Bars - a decadent, down-south dessert that nobody will believe came from a box! With layers of chocolate cookie crumbs sprinkled over mini marshmallows in a chewy chocolate center and a crunchy chocolate cookie crust, this brand new recipe is sure to impress friends and family.



I kicked the Mud Bars up a notch by using up the ingredients I bought to make the smores that weren't going to happen because of the rain.

I had originally planned on vlogging this, but so much was going on here on The Avenue that it just didn't work out. My pictures and testimony of deliciousness will have to do.

I prepared the mix according to the package and then got creative when I layered it in the baking dish.




Layer one: Press the crust mix evenly on the bottom of an ungreased 8 x 8 pan. (I had my doubts about the ungreased part, but it was ok, so trust me.)

Layer two: Nine graham cracker halves. (I love how this worked out! They fit perfectly!)

Layer three: A marshmallow on top of each graham cracker. (Nine marshmallows)

Layer four: One little square of a Hershey bar on top of each marshmallow. (There will be leftovers, just shove them in your mouth before someone notices and you'll have to share)

Layer five: Nine more graham cracker halves on top of all of that.

Layer six: Pour the bar mix evenly over the top and press down gently.

Bake at 325 for 39 minutes.

I served the brownies with vanilla ice cream, because everyone knows any calories consumed on a holiday weekend don't really count :)

You don´t have to go to Mississippi to snag the mix for these delicious bars; Betty Crocker makes it easy to make a tasty treat anytime, anywhere.




If you would like to be among the first to try the new Betty Crocker Mississippi Mud Supreme Bars before they hit shelves this summer, leave a comment below to be entered in a drawing to win a "Delicious Dessert" prize pack that includes a box of the new Betty Crocker Mississippi Mud Supreme Bars and an 8x8 metal baking pan. This contest runs until Saturday June 5th and the winner will be notified by email, so be sure to leave one.

Be sure to check out Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays for more tasty treats.

Disclaimer: Betty Crocker provided me with the free product, information, and prize pack through MyBlogSpark. All opinions are strictly my own. I was not compensated in any other way for this post.

Welcome Summer!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

I'm blogging at Chicago Moms Blog today, check it out for some fun stuff to do in the Southwest 'burbs. And leave a comment because I'm all sorts of needy like that.

Take a moment this weekend to remember all those men and women who lost their lives while serving our great country.

Happiness Project - Week 13

Who can't use a little more happiness in their life?

These two guys make me deliriously happy.
Happier than I could ever imagine I'd be.

Leigh is hosting the Happiness Project,
click on the button below and head over
to see what makes other bloggers wildly happy.
Link up and spread happiness
throughout the Blogosphere.

P.S. As long as you're already here, check out my giveaway here.

Happy Birthday Whynot!

Today is your 56th birthday!

Happy Birthday Honey!




You share a birthday with Rosanne Cash, Priscilla Presley, Patti LaBelle, Bob Dylan, Tommy Chong and Jane Byrne.

You're a Gemini, which makes you intelligent, and witty with a sense of mischief. You have great conversation skills.

A Gemini man (you) and Libra woman (me) are highly compatible. This is a good thing.

You're 56 and I'm 47.

56 and 47. Just like John Travolta and Kelly Preston, who announced to the world that they are expecting.

Now I just have to say this out loud and then I'll move on...I think.

I don't wish John and Kelly any harm, but I have to just roll my eyes and mumble WTF are they thinking?

I realize they are celebrities and they lead a different lifestyle than you and I do, but seriously...WTF!!??!!

I agree that a child is blessing, we have 4 between us. But we are old people now, with adult children and grandchildren. I chase after 2 of those grandchildren for the better part of the day 5 days a week and I love it, but at night, when they go home I am exhausted! On the weekends, they are with their parents and I get a break. Because kids are exhausting. They suck every ounce of energy out of you and at our age it takes a lot of energy just to get out of bed some days.

An infant born to us this year would start preschool when we turned 50 and 59 and graduate from high school when we were 65 and 74. Four years later would we even be around to see a college graduation? Could we even climb up in to those bleachers with our walkers and oxygen masks?

In a pregnancy at age 47 the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure is higher and there is a greater chance of chromosomal disorder.

So Honey, this year for your birthday I am NOT having another baby, instead let's use your AARP card and get an early bird special for dinner.

Love you!

U*neaks Shoe Giveaway

Snips and snails,
And puppy dog tails,
That's what little boys are made of.

I have a confession. About a year ago, when we found out that Moose Baby was another boy, I experienced a momentary disappointment. I wanted a granddaughter. To dress in pink and frills and bows in her hair. And did I mention pink? Mounds and mounds of pink, like bubble gum or cotton candy. A real girly girl that I could max out my credit cards on in an attempt to accessorize her properly.

Alas, it was not meant to be and instead I've been blessed with grandsons (for now).

Boys and their blah jeans and t-shirts and boring shoes.

But all that changed when I discovered U*neaks!




U*neaks are kids' shoes with clear side panel windows and socks with fun and fashionable designs, so that kids can change the look of their shoes by changing their socks. All of the socks are double sided, so that you get two appearances from each pair of socks by simply switching your socks from one foot to the other.

Brilliant!

I was sent the Black/Red Boomerang and several pairs of socks for TOF to try. After wearing these shoes for a week, we both give U*neaks two thumbs up! They're awesome for running, jumping and climbing. TOF says they make him run fooper fast and they're comfy too.



I love the great fit and quality construction and every pair of socks makes these a different pair of shoes!




For a limited time, you can receive free shipping, free returns and a 10% discount on U*neaks by entering the coupon code UNEAKS at checkout.

But that's not all! U*neaks has offered to send one reader a pair of fun shoes and two pairs of socks of their choice.

To enter, visit U*neaks and tell me which shoes and socks you would choose and who the lucky recipient of these shoes will be. This is mandatory before any extra entries.

Extra Entries (Leave a separate comment for each entry):

Follow my blog.
Subscribe to my blog in your reader.
Follow me on Twitter.
Follow U* neaks on Twitter.

This contest ends on May 28, 2010.

p.s. U*neaks carries girly shoes and socks too!

Disclaimer: I was sent a pair of U*neaks shoes and four pairs of U*neak socks to review, no monetary compensation was received and the opinions are strictly mine and TOF's.

You Capture - Depth

When you wait until the last minute to complete your assignment and you wake up with a horrible migraine, this is what you get...





...one single solitary entry. But if I do say so myself, it's not bad. I ran outside in my slippers, which are now soaking wet from the dew on the grass, and snapped a picture of the nearest bloomin thing. Don't ask about settings, I have no clue, I have a point and shoot, easy to throw in my purse or diaper bag, Canon. It's titanium, that makes me feel better when I drop it, or when TOF takes pictures, as he's doing now for his capture. Now that is going to make an interesting post.

Ok enough here, head over to Beth's and see some real talent, but before you go, leave me some love, pretty please.

Coming Soon

Boston based CSN Stores LLC is a fast-growing, privately-held company offering customers the best online shopping available for home and office goods. A $200 million company, CSN is made up of more than 200 online niche shops offering a huge selection of products ranging from cookware and cribs to grills, LED lighting greenhouses and gaming equipment. More than one million products are for sale at CSN Stores. They have items for budget-minded shoppers, luxury seekers and everyone in between.

It's an online shopaholic's dream come true!

A MILLION PRODUCTS!

Hamana-hamana-hamana-hamana. How can I choose just one thing?

I think I have it narrowed down to 346, will you please help me to decide?

Should I be a completely unselfish Mema and get something for the boys? Should I get something for Whynot's birthday? Something for GlitterGurl, to satisfy her bad case of the gimmies? Or should I just make it all about me me me?

What do you think I should choose? Have you ever shopped at CSN Stores before?

Watch for the results in a post coming soon.

Playtex Bra Makeover

Remember this post?

Well now you can apply for a bra makeover from Playtex.

Seven out of 10 women are wearing the wrong size bra, which can result in an ill fit for the rest of their outfit, back and shoulder pain, as well as bruising and digging.

Busy moms don't always have time to update their bras or even check to make sure they are wearing the correct size. That's why I want to let you know about this contest from Playtex!

Playtex recently launched www.PlaytexBraMakeover.com, a site where women can go to apply for a bra makeover or nominate a friend. If chosen, the winner will be flown to New York to receive a Bra Makeover with style expert Alison Deyette. Alison is a fashion and trend lifestyle expert who has been featured on Bravo's Millionaire Matchmaker and TLC's Ten Years Younger, as well as in print publications including Good Housekeeping, The Washington Post, and O Magazine. Apply for your chance to win a Playtex Bra Makeover today. The last day to apply is Friday, May 21st, 2010.

Kiss your bra problems goodbye!

Disclosure: By posting this information, I am entered into a contest to win a free bra from Playtex. I did not receive any compensation for this post.

Monday's Washday

My friends at MomSelect and all sent me a little something to make laundry day easier on The Avenue.

New all Oxi-Active laundry detergent delivers 2-in-1 advanced cleaning power and cleans better than the leading Oxi liquid detergent on tough stains like grass. Containing innovative all Oxi-Active stainlifters, all Oxi-Active is the most powerful all product on the market.

Features:

* Delivers 2-in-1 advanced cleaning power
* Vibrant whites and bright colors
* Safe for both traditional and high-efficiency washing machines
* Cleans better than the leading Oxi liquid detergent on tough stains like, grass, blood, wine grape juice coffee with milk and chocolate ice cream.

The sleek blue bottle with a bright orange cap and I set out to tackle some stinky laundry and at the end of the day the clothes were clean, the stains were gone and the colors remained vibrant. As an added bonus, they smelled fresh as a waterfall.

MomSelect has generously offered to send two of my readers a bottle of all Oxi Active to try on their toughest stains.

To enter just leave a comment telling me which day of the week you prefer to do laundry.

For more information and a $1 off coupon, visit www.all-laundry.com.

Contest ends on Friday, May 21, 2010.

Disclaimer: MomSelect and all sent me a bottle of all Oxi-Active free of charge and offered two bottles to share with my readers. I was not compensated in any other way.

You Capture - Yellow

This week's You Capture - Yellow. I seem to have lost my yellow, the whole town has lost their yellow, I need a little more yellow.

Day THREE rain.

As a result, it's GREY, WET and very GREEN, with a dash of RUMBLY for good measure.

Oh and let's not forget the WEEDS!

J-Town style

And Scottsdale style.
These little Arizona gems are so lovely and considered annoying weeds to residents.

I dunno, I'll take them any day over those pesky (achoo) dandelions. They're just the perfect amount of yellow on this otherwise gloomy day. Enjoy!

For more YELLOW, head over to Beth's, where she has all sorts of yellow going on with that sweet smelling new baby, and check out the You Capture this week.

They're Twins?

I love my U-Verse, I really do.

But they are big fat hairy LIARS.

All that talk about taping 4 programs on your DVR, LIES.

It cannot be done.

It doesn't even say in small print anywhere that it cannot be done. Well maybe it does, but I haven't seen any tiny print anywhere that says we only say you can tape 4 shows at once so you get all excited about our product and then when you get it installed the disappointment sets in.

The reality is this:

You can watch ONE HD program and tape ONE HD program simultaneously.
Or you can turn off the TVs and tape TWO HD programs.

Which, on a Tuesday night, when there is a Cubs' game and BlackHawks playoff hockey and Parenthood and The Good Wife, presents a problem! Add into that the fact that I start watching LOST 15 minutes into the episode so that I can fast forward through commercials and you have a recipe for disaster!!

Rewind to Tuesday night at 8:15, I'm all comfy upstairs, remote in hand, ready to watch LOST. I hear loud profanity coming from my family room. Apparently someone somewhere decided that it would be a good idea to move the Cubs' game to another channel, a channel that doesn't come in on our set. Although my neighbor who has the same package as we do was watching the game just fine. More profanity, a phone call and poof, my TV, my LOST, one of my very few pleasures in life, is now a blank blue screen with some words that basically say, recording has been interrupted.

So I have 17 minutes of recorded LOST floating somewhere in U-Verse space, it's 8:22 and I am forced to watch the remaining LOST live with commercial interruptions and the closer we get to 9pm, the more jacked up the DVR will become.

I watched LOST a little sideways and it sucked! Not only the manner in which I watched, but the episode itself. SUCKED! For one, I kept looking at Foster Mama and thinking she was Peg Bundy, who is Locke's girlfriend and thinking WTF. Turns out it wasn't Peg Bundy, it was CJ. Oh my head!

Someone has to protect the light? MIB never had a name?

Who is Foster Mama and how did she get to the island?

There are only 3 1/2 more hours of LOST and I fear it's going to end badly.

I'm a Paste Eater

Admit it.

You've done it too.

When you've needed that caffeine boost or just to go potty, all by yourself, with the door closed and without an audience. Or to scarf down that Snickers bar that you didn't want to share with the short people.

Just so that they would be quiet for a little while so that you could regroup and regain your sanity.

You turned on the TV for a few minutes and before you knew what hit you, the purple dinosaur or the four guys in primary colors were crooning away and the most annoying song got stuck in your head.

ALL. DAY. LONG.

If you're as tired as I am of boring kids' music then ToyBlock Music is just for you.

Founded by Joanna Quargnali-Linsley, a Chicago mom-preneur, who got tired of listening to boring, demeaning kids' music. It all sounded the same, and it all disappointed both her and her year-old daughter. So she decided to do something about it.

Joanna and her husband, Alessandro, both musicians themselves, brought together a talented cadre of eclectic artists from all over the country to reinterpret classic childhood songs.

Over a year in the making, Eats Paste was released on April 1st. It features a funk version of "The Wheels on the Bus," a surf-punk "The Cat Came Back," a dark singer-songwriter take on "There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly," and other unique gems.

"Exposing kids to good music just makes sense, and they love it," Joanna says. "What kids listen to should be just as interesting and complex as what we listen to as adults."

ToyBlock Music is also proud to say that a percentage of its profits will be directed to PAGER, a nonprofit organization working to educate and assist families and young children suffering from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. GERD is a condition which affects an estimated 7 million babies in the United States, and can lead to life long health problems if not treated early and continuously.

Grab your air guitar and check out the song samples, I guarantee you'll be shaking your sillies out in no time. Leave me a comment telling me your favorite song on the CD for a chance to win a free digital download and an I (heart) Paste t-shirt for your toddler. I'll pick a winner on Friday May 15th.

For extra entries:

Follow my blog
Subscribe to my blog
Follow me on Twitter
Tweet this giveaway

Disclaimer: ToyBlock Music provided me with information, an electronic copy of the CD, Eats Paste and some t-shirts for the boys and to giveaway on my blog. No paste was actually consumed by me or anyone in my household.

You Scream, I Scream

We all scream for ice cream.

I'm over at ChicagoMomsBlog today. Come over and keep me company, I'll share my ice cream with you.

Swiffer Sweeper Giveaway

We regularly defy the laws of physics here on The Avenue.

A few Cheerios placed on the tray in front of Baby Moose are often pulverized and catapulted into the furthest corner of the kitchen, where they multiply at a rapid pace.

Bella, the 8.5 lb Doxie mix sheds 5 lbs of fur daily.

Grass, dirt and tiny pebbles magically float under closed doors and take up residence under the table.

So I had to laugh when I opened the Swiffer box and saw this


The Swiffer people had included canisters of hair, dirt, cheerios and food crumbs to use in testing the Swiffer SweeperVac.

The new Swiffer SweeperVac has a textured Swiffer Dry Sweeping Cloth to trap and lock fine dirt and dust plus a powerful cordless vacuum for grabbing larger pieces of crumbs, leaves, pet hair, and cereal.






Lightweight and compact, the new Swiffer SweeperVac works great on virtually any surface in your home and cleans better than a broom and dustpan. Plus it doesn't require any vacuum bags. You can easily dispose of dirt, dust, and particles from the see-through dirt cup with just one push of a button.

There was no need to use the included dirt as we had enough of our own and I was pleased with the suction power of this nifty little vac. The swivel head made it easy to get under the table and around chairs and the Swiffer cloths picked up the dust my trusty broom usually missed.

See for yourself

Would you like to win a SweeperVac of your own? I have ONE $40 gift card to giveaway.

Just leave a comment below telling me which room you'd like to tackle first with your Swiffer SweeperVac.

For extra entries:

Follow my blog
Follow me on Twitter

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry and a way to contact you if you're a winner.

I'll pick a winner using Random.org on May 10th.

Disclaimer: I was sent a Swiffer SweeperVac to test and one $40 Walmart gift card to giveaway by P & G through MyBlogSpark.

Relay For Life

Raise your hand if your life has not been affected by cancer.

The crowded clubhouse was rather noisy and so she repeated her request. Still not a single hand went up. Approximately seventy people had gathered for the evening and not one could boast that their life had not been touched by this disease in some way.

My hand remained at my side as I remembered the day six years ago that my husband and I sat and listened as the Dr delivered the news about his mother. Millie has cancer.

At times I wondered what it must feel like for those receiving this devastating message. The emotions I experienced in that moment were like nothing I could ever imagine. The room began to spin and the Dr's voice was loud and seemed to be playing in slow motion, all while someone repeatedly sucker punched me to the point where I wanted to throw up and cry at the same time, only there were no tears and a huge lump formed in my throat. Instead I sat completely dumbfounded.

Less than a month later, we buried Millie.

Saturday night, I supported my daughter and her friends on team Hope Fully Devoted, of the American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Plainfield at their Game Night Fundraiser. The team of eleven rallied and put together a fabulous night of delicious refreshments, bingo, bags, billiards and donated raffle prizes. These ladies worked hard canvassing local businesses to provide generous prizes including a night's stay at the Hampton Inn, a gift certificate and goody bag from Andreasen Travel, a wine tasting party from Wine Styles and gift certificates from Wonder Hostess just to name a few. There were so many lovely prizes I lost track. The turnout far exceeded their expectations and mine as I truly had an enjoyable evening while helping such a great cause. I even came home the winner of a Yankee candle donated by Forget Me Not Gifts and Decor and a Kids' Meal from Chilis.

Relay for Life is a team event that celebrates cancer survivors, and raises funds for the American Cancer Society research, education, prevention and patient services. It is a fun, outdoor event where teams take turns walking or running around a track. Presented by Edward Hospital, Relay For Life of Plainfield will be held on Saturday, June 26, 2010 at Plainfield North High School. Sixty two teams and 335 participants have committed to attend the overnight event, because cancer never sleeps.

Relay for Life represents the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported and that one day cancer will be eliminated!