The Sweet Mama Life

Swoon Worthy Baking Mixes!

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*This blog was sponsored by Blue Diamond, but as always, the opinions are all my own!*

I’ve been on the hunt to find a box cake mix that delivers bakery quality taste, and that day has finally come!! Blue Diamond just launched their line of Baking Mixes and they are swoon worthy. There’s something about the flavor of the Blue Diamond Almond Flour that gives a nutty richness to these mixes  taking the taste over the top! Plus, these Baking Mixes are gluten-free, dairy-free, and non-GMO, so better-for-you baking is now a breeze!

Blue Diamond’s plant-based Baking Mixes are made with finely sifted Blue Diamond Almond Flour to deliver maximum flavor and ideal texture! They come in 4 varieties – Yellow Cake, Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookie and Brownie! Plus, they contain 10 or fewer ingredients with Almond Flour as the 1st ingredient (not sugar) so you can feel good while enjoying these treats!

It’s hard to choose just one, but I think the Blue Diamond Almond Flour Yellow Cake mix is my favorite! It also paired perfectly with my favorite Almondmilk Buttercream Frosting! You can turn this Buttercream recipe dairy-free by simply swapping traditional butter for a plant-based spread!

Here’s the recipe!

Almondmilk Buttercream Frosting

  • 2 tablespoons Almond Breeze Vanilla Almondmilk
  • 1 cup butter, softened (or ½ cup plant-based, dairy-free spread)
  • 4 cups powder sugar
  • Pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together and that’s it! Seriously the easiest and tastiest Buttercream frosting. We make a lot of cupcakes in this house and this is my go-to frosting!

If you aren’t a cupcake lover (I don’t see how that is possible), the Blue Diamond Almond Flour Chocolate Chip and Blue Diamond Almond Flour Brownie Mixes are also superb! You really can’t go wrong with any of them! Blue Diamond Baking Mixes really are ideal for health-conscious bakers on the hunt for superb quality and taste!

You can find these mixes soon at select retailers starting with Albertson’s, Food Lion, Amazon.com and more, and they will be rolling out to additional retailers! Definitely give them a try, I can pretty much guarantee you will fall in love!

Relaxation and Exhilaration All in One Resort!

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Take a moment to soak in that photo above! One look and I knew we needed to schedule a family vacation at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa!  It’s an oasis amid 600 acres of oak covered hills and we already can’t wait to go back!

  

River Bluff Experience! 

  

We spent most of our time at the resort’s River Bluff Experience, which is a 9 acre water park that is equal parts relaxation and adventure! It has an 1,100-foot lazy River, two 35- foot high inner tube slides, an entire children’s pool area complete with splash pads and mini water slides, a sandy beach area, two 60- foot high body slides, and multiple pools! Yep, it was fantastic! The water park appeals to children and adults alike! And don’t forget to try the Strawberry Daiquiri topped with Dippin’ Dots that you can find Rivertop Grill right next to the pools!

  

The Food! 

  
The resort has 7 restaurants and 5 bars that offer delectable items for every palate! Since Robert and I were celebrating our anniversary we made sure to make reservations at the 18 Oaks Steakhouse! The steakhouse overlooks the 18th hole of the TPC San Antonio’s famous PGA Tour Golf Course. The menu items consist of fresh, organic ingredients sourced directly from their very own gardens and local vendors. Robert and I swooned over every bite we had there!

Family Friendly Activities! 

  
Every day the resort offers various kid and family activities from s’mores to craft projects to scavenger hunts! Our girls had a ball finding all of the Longhorns hidden around the property. Once we solved the riddles for each one and took a photo with them, we showed the front desk and received our sweet treat candy bar reward! It’s all those little things that make this resort feel so welcoming and fun!

The Area!

We couldn’t see any reason to leave the resort 😉 However if you do want to venture out, the resort is located just minutes away from the San Antonio River Walk, Texas Hill Country Wineries, The Alamo, SeaWorld San Antonio, Six Flags Fiesta, and so much more!

Here’s a link to learn more about the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa! If you decide to make a visit I’m certain you won’t be disappointed. Everywhere you look your eyes are greeted with picturesque views of rolling hills and giant Texas skies!  The resort offers something for every age and interest! We can’t wait to visit again! Thank you for the lovely memories JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa!

2 Recipes that put Cascade Platinum + Oxi to the test!

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Do you have a favorite recipe that you love to cook, but hate to clean? We are a casserole loving family, but I can’t stand the baked on food that seems impossible to get off any casserole dish. Luckily Cascade Platinum + Oxi has been specially formulated to attack that baked on grit and leave your dishes sparkling clean right out of the dishwasher.

After I bake my favorite Chicken Enchilada Casserole I’m left with a dish that has a ton of baked on cheese and tortilla. In the past, I would spend way too much time pre-rinsing, then I would place it in the dishwasher, and it would still come out with a ton of invisible grit and greasy slip left on it! But now with Cascade Platinum + Oxi, I skip the re-rinsing, place it right into the dishwasher, and the ActionPacs do all the work by breaking down the starch and proteins from stuck-on food and leftover grease! It leaves a level of sanitized clean that once you experience it, there is no going back!

Before:                                                        After:

  

Now, I no longer avoid cooking my favorite recipes, since Cascade Platinum + Oxi ActionPacs are doing all the work for me! It leaves my dishes a with deep, hygienic clean that I can see and feel!

Sooooo, two things, first, click the link Here to learn more about Cascade Platinum + Oxi!  Next, try these incredibly simple favorite recipes of ours! They have always been such easy and delicious dinners to make, and now they are even easy to clean up afterwards! Win/Win!!!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole 

  • 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 can drained corn
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 1 24oz can enchilada sauce
  • 3 cups shredded cheese
  • 5 tortillas, 10 inch
  • Toppings: black olives, sour cream, shredded lettuce

Sauté  onions and bell pepper till soft. Add chicken, corn, and taco seasoning. Cook until well combined and warm. Pour a tiny bit of enchilada sauce into base of 13×9 inch casserole dish. Place each tortilla in pan and fill with chicken mixture and cheese. Then roll up the tortilla. Repeat with rest of tortillas. Top with rest of enchilada sauce, cheese, and sliced olives. Bake at 350° For about 30-40 min!

Crispy Onion BBQ Chicken 

  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 1/2 sliced onion
  • 1 1/2 cups BBQ Sauce (homemade or store bought)
  • 1 cup crispy fried onions

Spread 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce onto bottom of casserole dish. Sprinkle sliced onions. Place chicken breasts on top of onions. Top with rest of BBQ sauce. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes. Top with crispy fried onions and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes!

*This blog post was sponsored by Cascade, but as always, the opinions are all mine!

 

 

5 Ingredient Pumpkin Pie Twists

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5 Ingredient Pumpkin Pie Twists! So this easy as “Pie” recipe is a fun “twist” on Pumpkin Pie …..ya see what I did there? 😉 By using @BoarsHead_Official new Pumpkin Pie hummus and some puff pastry you can make a sweet treat that will impress in minutes! Scroll down to see the process pics, and here’s what you need:

-One sheet/package frozen puff pastry, thawed

-4 oz Boar’s Head Pumpkin Pie Dessert Hummus

-2 tablespoons sugar

-1 teaspoon cinnamon

-1 egg, lightly beaten

*All-purpose flour, for dusting work surface
Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to flatten the puff pastry into a large rectangle, 1/4-inch thick.

Spread the Pumpkin Pie Hummus evenly over the pastry using the back of a spoon

Then cut the pastry into 6 to 8 stripes!

Twist each strip 4 or 5 times, so it looks like a curly straw. Place on the prepared baking sheet and brush with beaten egg. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Remove the twists from the fridge and brush a second time with beaten egg. Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle on top! Bake until the pastry is well risen and golden-brown, about 18-20 minutes. Enjoy!
Now you will notice I only used 1/2 of the hummus that comes in the container. Sooo you can either make another batch of twists using your second puff pastry sheet that comes in a box, orrrrrr I would highly recommend grabbing some pretzels and apple slices and enjoying this sweet and creamy Pumpkin Pie Hummus on its own! @BoarsHead_Official​ #FallinLoveWithHummus #Falltreat #holidaybaking #pumkinpietwist

Candy Corn Cake Trifle

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Candy Corn Cake Trifle! Such a perfect Halloween treat to make for parties or give as a gift! Annabelle and I made these for her teachers and they were very well received! Not only are they simple to create, but I love that you can find everything you need from the candy corn to the mason jars at @RalphsGrocery !

Ingredients:

· Candy Corn

· 2 vanilla or yellow box cake mixes (and the eggs and oil that the box needs)

· 2 frosting tubs or homemade frosting

· Yellow and red food coloring

· 8 mason jars (1 pint)

· Piping bag with a large tip or a ziplock bag with corner cut off

STEP 1: Make your favorite cake mixes, as directed, in two separate bowls. Add Yellow to one bowl and yellow and red to create orange to the other bowl, mix well.

STEP 2: Bake each part separately according to box directions. While slightly warm, break up the cake with your hands. This is a fun step to the the kids help with! I didn’t crumble the outer rim of the cake since that tends to be a bit brown and I only wanted the vibrant colors.

STEP 3: Layer the two colors of cake into your Mason jars. Add yellow first and then orange.

STEP 4: Use a piping bag or ziplock bag (with the corner cut off to top with white frosting!

STEP 5: Top with Candy Corns.

STEP 6: Place the lid on the mason jar and fancy it up with some ribbon! Enjoy Gifting!

#masonjargifts #halloweentreats

 

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Melted Witch Cookies

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“I’m Melting!!!” Bye Bye wicked witch, hello fun Melted Witch no bake cookies! Perfect for a Halloween or a Wizard of Oz themed party!! Or perfect for this  96° Fall weather because I know I’m melting;) Anyway, directions below or swipe through the pics for the photo book version 😉

What you need:

• Green Candy Melts

• Black Candy Melts

• Any sort of round flat chocolate covered cookies

• Hershey’s Kisses

• Mini chocolate chips

• Pretzel Sticks

• Crispy Chow Mein noodles

•

Directions: Melt the black candy melts and use it as the glue to attach the Hershey’s Kisses to the top of the chocolate cookies to create witch hats. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the green candy melts and possibly the black candy melts if they have started to harden. Once smooth take a spoonful of the green candy melts and pour onto parchment paper. With the back of the spoon use a circular motion to create about a 3 inch circle. Then put a very small dollop of melted black candy melts in the center. Use a toothpick to swirl in the black tone. Place the witch hat in the upper right corner, gently press into the melts. Place two mini chocolate chips under the witch hat for the eyes. Place a pretzel stick and 4-5 chow mein noodles on the left to create the broom. (Only do one at a time, otherwise your melts will harden and your broom won’t stick!) Allow to completely cool and harden until pulling off the parchment paper and you’re done! #immelting #witchplease #youlovetheheat 😉 #halloweencookies

3 Ingredient Back to School Pencil Cookies!

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3 Ingredient Back to School Pencil Cookies!!!  ✏️  …..so these couldn’t be any easier and make for a fun after school treat or to take to a school function! Scroll through for the “How to:” pics!!!

Here’s what you need:
•
• Vanilla Wafer Cookies
•
• Candy Melts (white and pink)
•
• Chocolate Chips
•
Start by making diagonal cuts at the top of the wafer cookie to create a triangle pencil point! (I actually left a bit of a flat top on the tip of the triangle so the chocolate chips sits well in place).  Next, melt the pink candy melts. Dip the un-cut portion of the wake cookie, about 1/2 inch into the melted chocolate to create the pencil eraser! Repeat on every cookie. Next melt the white candy melts. Dip the cut end of the wafer cookie into the white chocolate and immediately place the chocolate chip on top and place onto a tray to dry. And that’s it!! Yummy, Cute, and Easy my favorite combo in cookies and men 😉

3 Ingredient Blueberry Cobbler!!

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3 Ingredient Blueberry Cobbler!!! It’s summertime which means yayyyyy for BBQs, Picnics, and Pool Parties! And Ralphs Grocery certainly has us covered with everything from cute party paper goods, to grilling items, to the ingredients for this super simple 3 ingredient Blueberry Cobbler!! Swipe to see the steps!

What ya need:

• 4 cups frozen Simple Truth Blueberries

• 1 box yellow cake mix

• 3/4 cup Ralphs unsalted butter, split, 1/2 cup softened, 1/4 cup melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°
Spread frozen blueberries in an even layer on the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch Baking pan. Place 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick) softened in bowl. Mix butter with cake mix. It will turn into a crumbly texture. Pour it on top of the blueberries. Bake for 30 min. Then take last 1/4 cup of melted butter and drizzle on top. Bake an additional 20 minutes! And you are done!! And then feel free to serve it up with some Private Selection Double Vanilla Bean Ice Cream!! Ralphs Grocery

Photo Steps:

Processed with VSCO with c3 preset

#LoveMyRalphs #RalphsPartner #summertimerecipes

5 Ingredient Easter Cookies!

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5 ingredient Easter Cookies for my peeps! Well you all know how I like my quick and simple cookie decorating recipes, so here’s one for Easter!! They are pretty self explanatory with the photos below, but here is the “recipe” (if you can even call it that)! This also makes for a great cupcake topper and it’s easy enough for kids to do!

-Store bought frosted cookies, or make your own, or use a cupcake!
-White Airheads/Mystery Flavor, I just ordered them off Amazon verses finding them at specific stores
-Mini Robin Eggs
-Peeps
-Extra frosting to use as glue for all of your parts!

1) So first make your hatched egg! Using kitchen scissors, cut a white airhead strip in half. Round the two bottom corners into egg like shape. Cut out tiny triangles from the top, to look like a cracked egg shell.
2) Next put a bit of frosting onto the bottom of your peep and “glue” it to the far back of your cookie.
3) Then pipe out a little line of frosting in front of your peep to glue down your egg shell.
4) Then place a few mini Robin Eggs in front of your freshly hatched peep! Use extra frosting to secure Robin Eggs if need be.
5) Annnd that’s it!!

3 Ingredient Rainbow Cookies

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Ok, so I made these last night for Annabelle’s school St. Patrick’s Day party today and I kinda loved how they turned out! They seriously only take 5 minutes and are so easy kids can help! Scroll through the photos below because they are pretty self explanatory, and don’t really need any explanation  😉

The 3 Ingredients:

-Those store bought cookies with frosting that they have everywhere

-Rainbow Airheads sour strips, cut in half

-Vanilla frosting in a piping bag for the clouds

And that’s it! They would even be great for rainbow themed birthday parties if you swap out the green frosting cookies for another color!!

 

Mamma Mia Pizza and a Movie Night!

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*This post is sponsored by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, but the opinions are of course allllll mine!

That’s right, it’s a Mamma Mia, Mamma Me night in, complete with a Sun Dried Tomato and Hummus pizza! I don’t know about you guys, but when movies come out in theaters, I could care less, I’m not paying for a sitter and dragging myself out to a cold theater to eat over-priced candy and subpar food! (Robert and I vary greatly on that front, but we still manage to co-exist 😉 ) Buuuuut, give me the digital and DVD release date for a movie, and heck yes, we are going to celebrate! That’s the real movie release date in my world! Soooo since Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again  is now available on digital and will be available on Blu-ray and DVD on Oct. 23rd, I am making a night of it!!!! And what better way to celebrate than with a movie inspired, Greek pizza recipe. Annnnnd one that is crazy easy but full of flavor, and actually pretty darn healthy too. Win, Win, Win!  Ok here it is:

Sun Dried Tomato and Hummus Pizza

  • Pizza Dough*
  • 1 tbls flour
  • 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes
  • ½ cup chopped red onion
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • ½ cup hummus
  • 1/3 cup feta cheese
  • Wine (optional, but I usually recommend a glass while cooking 😉 )

1.   Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees

2.   Cover your large cutting  board with flour, and work out your dough to desired shape, and about ½ inch thick.

     3.  Place your dough on parchment paper and place in oven for 8-10 minutes.

4.   Combine sundried tomatoes, onion, spinach, and olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 min, or until spinach is wilted.

5.   Remove pizza crust from oven. Let cool, slightly.

6.   Spread hummus over crust, top with sautéed veggie mixture and feta cheese! Mamma Mia that’s both easy and delicious!

*Soooo we all have our favorite pizza dough recipes, but we also all have our favorite store-bought pizza dough. And I say when you can take a short cut that doesn’t sacrifice taste, take it! After all we’ve got a movie to watch!

I  have to admit, musicals are basically my favorite genre of movie! It’s all feel good goodness and sometimes that is exactly what the doctor ordered! Annnnd if you love to sing like me, but can’t hold a tune to save your life, turn up that TV nice and loud, and your voice will be tuned out just enough to make you think you’re actually not doing a half bad job of singing along. It really works and it’s kinda awesome to sing a duet with Meryl Streep 😉 So now with Pizza in one hand and wine in the other, let’s get this Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again movie night started! And I highly recommend you doing the same!!

Rosie’s Cupcake Shortcut!

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Yes, I know I look like I’ve had a little too much sugar in this pic, but one always needs a good taste tester on hand and that’s usually me 😉

Ok. So I think cake mixes get a bad rap sometimes! It’s basically just taking the minor shortcut of having your dry ingredients pre-mixed for ya! And let’s be honest any shortcut, or 10 minute time saver I’ll take these days.  I’ve tried this recipe completely from scratch and with the help of a mix and I really can’t tell the difference. I think that’s because with the mix-ins of sour cream and buttermilk you really aren’t missing a thing! So here ya go! Enjoy!

Rosie’s Cupcake Shortcut!

Vanilla Cupcake Mix

  • 3 eggs
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • Vanilla Cake Mix not white cake mix
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Cream Cheese, Buttercream Frosting

  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • ½ cup butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with 20-22 cupcake liners.
  2. In a large bowl, gently combine eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla.
  3. Mix in sour cream.
  4. Add cake mix and cinnamon and mix until smooth
  5. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Buttercream: Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Adjust the consistency using milk if it is too thick.
  7. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with party theme decorations. OOOOOH Yummy!

 

 

Family Trip to Texas

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This is the Airport dance 💃 of a mom who just had both babes sleep through an entire flight!!!! It was magical, it was a miracle, and I don’t think we’ll be able to replicate it again! But we will celebrate it now, and give ourselves many pats on the back! And thank you to the airline attendant that said our drinks were on the house because she thought it was hilarious how giddy we were about the situation! Of course then getting to the hotel at 3am TX time and both girls only sleeping 4 hours and then insisting on starting the day today is going to prove to be interesting for us all, but hey, at least we got here reasonably unscathed!

 

Travel section…. coming soon!!!

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