Do you need a convenient breakfast?  Do you find yourself grabbing a banana while on the way out the door?  If so, I have a solution for  you!  A delicious, creamy solution.  Quaker breakfast shakes!

Quaker Breakfast Shakes are packed with protein and fiber to help you get going in the morning.  I don’t know how they are for your family but mornings are kind of hectic around here.  On mornings where we have to get everyone up, dressed, and fed before heading out the door I feel pulled in a dozen different directions and I usually skip breakfast.  Shame on me, I know!!  On mornings where my husband is the only one who leaves it’s a little calmer but still difficult to eat myself while also preparing food for a toddler and feeding a newborn.  With Quaker shakes I can sip as I multitask around the house or take it with me on the road.

How do they taste?  The chocolate is divine!  I’m a big fan of chocolate so a nutritious chocolate breakfast is right up my alley.  I’ve had my share of breakfast drinks and this is right up there at the top.  It’s thick, has a good consistency, no aftertaste, and it’s just plain yummy.  The strawberry on the other hand, I can’t speak as favorably of.  Keep in mind that I’ve never, ever liked any strawberry drinks/milks.  Not a one.  With that in mind, my opinion really shouldn’t count on the strawberry drinks.  Trust me though, you have to try the chocolate!

Doesn’t it look decadent in my fancy juice glass.  Sparkling grape juice glass to be specific. : )

Let me sum it up for you. 8 grams of whole grains. 10 grams of protein.  6 grams of fiber.  11 ounces of deliciousness.  Give it a try and see if it helps you squeeze in a bit of goodness into your mornings.  Here’s a $2 digital coupon to use!

Can I see a raise of hands for those who love bacon?  That’s right, most of you do…and for good reason, it’s ridiculously yummy!  Recently, Bi-Lo asked me to come up with my own recipe using bacon for their “Everybody Loves Bacon Event.”  I spent days and days thinking of a recipe that could be improved upon by the addition of bacon and I came to the conclusion, “What recipe couldn’t?”  {See my bacon chocolate chip cookie recipe}  After much deliberation and searching Pinterest to make sure my recipe wasn’t taken I decided on Cheesy Bacon Breadsticks!

Breadsticks are one my favorite foods to indulge in.  No, they’re not healthy and they don’t claim to be.  They’re just warm, cheesy sticks of goodness.

Don’t they make your mouth water?  Mmm, they sure do mine and I just finished off a small plate of these earlier tonight.  The best thing about these are is that you can use your favorite breadstick recipe and add bacon to the top.  You don’t have to learn a new recipe if you don’t want to.

I’ve personally cooked with cans for years for the convenience but only recently have I found out how nutritious canned food is.  The canning process locks in food’s freshness, flavor, and nutrients at the peak of ripeness, just hours after picking.  According to a University of California, Davis study, many canned fruits and vegetables have the same nutrients as their fresh or frozen counterparts.  I love that!   That means that I can serve canned foods anytime and with confidence that my family is eating nutritious fruits and veggies.  Plus, I don’t know about you but I often throw away spoiled fruits and vegetables.  I hate it and I don’t mean to but time gets away from me.  With cans I don’t have to worry about food spoiling near as quickly!

When you think of cooking with cans what comes to mind first?  Is it the number of soups that start with Libby’s mixed vegetables?  What about your favorite pumpkin pie that begins with Libby’s Pumpkin Pie filling?  Maybe it’s the numerous casseroles that start with Campbell’s Cream of… cans.  I can think of many recipes that begins with cans and I’m going to share one of my favorite ones with you.

This Sweet Potato Banana Nut Muffin recipe is sweet and very moist.  I hope your family will enjoy it as much as mine does!

Sweet Potato Banana Nut Muffin

Ingredients:

• 1/2 (15 oz) can Princella or Sugary Sam Cut Sweet Potatoes, drained and mashed
• 1 1/2  cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup of walnuts, chopped
• Handful of unchopped walnuts

Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Recipe makes 5 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:

• 6 slices bacon {thick cut works best}
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, divided
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

• Arrange bacon slices side by side on a baking sheet.  I recommend lining it with foil first!
• Sprinkle 1/2 cup of brown sugar over the bacon.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until crispy, turning after 10 minutes of baking.
• Remove crispy bacon and allow to cool.
• Once cooled, chop finely.
• In a small bowl sift flour and baking soda.
• In a medium bowl {or stand mixer} cream butter and remaining sugars.
• Mix in vanilla, egg, and egg yolk and beat until light and creamy.
• Slowly mix in flour mixture.
• Fold in chopped bacon and chocolate chips.
• Spoon small balls of dough onto a baking sheet.
• Bake at 325 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, until edges begin to brown.
• Remove from the oven and let cool on pan for 5 minutes before moving to wire rack to completely cool.

Enjoy!  Please let me know how you like this recipe.

Don’t forget that you can print this recipe by clicking on the green “Print Friendly” button below.

Before you pour your sticky substances into a measuring cup, first fill it with hot water. Empty out the hot water but don’t dry cup. Then add your sticky ingredient, such as peanut butter or honey, and watch how easily it comes right out.

If you have a tip you would love to submit please contact me here.

Recently my family was asked to participate in Kellogg’s “Start Simple, Start Right” Campaign.  We’re big fans of Kellogg’s so we gladly accepted!  Kelloggs sent us five boxes of cereal.  One of each of the following cereals:

• Kellogg’s Raisin Bran – Yum!!
• Kellogg’s All Bran – Healthy goodness!
• Kellogg’s Corn Flakes – Perfect plain or with strawberries!
• Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Original -Snap, Crackle, Pop!
• Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Gluten Free – Gluten free?  I couldn’t tell.

Our family was eating all of these cereals anyway…well, with the exception of the Gluten Free Rice Krispies.

My Morning Routine   Each morning I drag myself out of bed, take my meds, and we all scurry downstairs.  My little girl eats her cereal and I pour myself a bowl of cereal.  I’m not a morning person. At all.  I would love to say that I make my family whatever they want for breakfast but that’s far from the truth.  I know moms that do that and take orders from each family member but I just can’t bring myself to.  That’s terrific that they can but it’s not for me.

Cereal is the simplest breakfast I can throw together but it’s also a very nutritious one one so I don’t feel too guilty.  I love that I can feed myself and my family a quick, wholesome meal and give them a great start to their day!  I know how important eating breakfast can be for their body and even concentration.  It took a while but I even have my husband eating breakfast before he heads out the door.  I don’t want my family to feel hungry before lunch and end up distracted or snacking on something unhealthy.  Feeding them cereals that I know are nutritious guarantees that they’ll be fuller longer.

Not all cereals are created equal!  Some brands have a ton of added sugars {some have on the upwards of 40% sugar!}!  Not to mention all of the words that I can’t pronounce.  Kellogg’s has reintroduced a line of cereals that are as simple as can be!  They are made from well-known ingredients like wheat, rice, corn, and other grains and are made with only a handful of simple ingredients.  Isn’t that awesome!  I feel confident feeding my family a cereal where I can read every ingredient in my food.  Don’t you love simplicity?

You can show your family these short videos about the food they are eating:

• Wheat Cereal Video
• Rice Cereal Video
• Corn Cereal Video

Follow Kellogg’s process on how they take grains from Seed-To-Spoon. Here’s a great infographic that explains it all:

What’s your favorite Kellogg’s cereal?

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Kellogg’s. I received sample products to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.”

If you’re craving pizza, like I often do, you’ll enjoy this sweet deal from Papa John’s!  Through 8/26, you can get 50% off your regular priced order when you order online and use the coupon code MLB100 at checkout. This coupon is good on any regularly priced menu item.  For instance, you can get a large pepperoni pizza for just $6.74 + tax!  This doesn’t include delivery fees.

Please Note: This code will not work on any special offers shown on the site. Also, this code may not work in all areas of the country.

Thanks, Clip and Follow!)

Today happens to be both Friday the 13th and Chick-Fil-A’s famous Cow Appreciation Day!

Today you can get a free meal during Chick-fil-A’s Cow Appreciation Day when you dress like a cow.  If I remember correctly you’ll get a free entree meal if you’re dressed like a cow from head to hoof and only a sandwich if you’re partially dressed like a cow.  Visit CowAppreciationDay.com for more information and to get your printable cow costume starter kit.  Valid at participating locations.  Enjoy!

Just for fun, if you want to add your cow photos to Facebook and tag us (@Beauty4Moms) we would love to see! : )

Hurry now and print this high value $1/1 Post Shredded Wheat coupon.

My local Walgreens sells the smaller boxes of Shredded Wheat for $1 and if your store is like mine (and fellow reader Amy’s) you can pick one up for free after this coupon!

Thanks, reader Amy!

Enter your zip code to see if you qualify to sign up for a $3 off Boston Market coupon.  You have to enter your zipcode to see if it’s available in your area.  I didn’t qualify so I’m not sure the details of the coupon.  All I know is that if you qualify you’ll receive a printable Boston Market coupon via email for $3 off your next visit.