As part of a shopper insights campaign for Collective Bias, I was tasked with creating latte art using Gevalia’s new café-style K-Cups. You can view my shopping journey over on my Google+ page. It was harder than I thought it was going to be, but I’ll delve more into that later.

The new Gevalia café-style K-Cups come in three varieties: Cappuccino, Caramel Macchiato, and Mocha Latte. I chose Mocha Latte because I love mocha/chocolate inspired drinks. These new K-Cups are pretty awesome in that you can have that rich, foamy, coffeehouse style drink at home in under 2 minutes using your Keurig. Although it’s a 2-step process, it’s not complicated at all, I swear. You first take the froth packet (see below), and pour it into a mug. Step 2 involves putting the mug under your Keurig spout/dispenser and brewing the Gevalia Mocha Latte K-Cup over the froth in the mug using the 8 oz. setting on your Keurig, and you pretty much have a delicious, gourmet latte from the convenience of your own home. And the calories are only 80 per serving, so it’s a treat that I can have daily without stressing. It is delicious!

So, something I failed to think about before attempting latte art was how dark mocha drinks can be. I tried powdered sugar and a stencil…no luck. I tried the toothpick trick to bring the liquid through the foam and make a design…no luck.

I was stumped on how to make simple latte art. Then I thought of a super easy idea that anyone can do. Cookies!

These are thin shortbread/wafer type vanilla cookies. They go well with anything, and they are a blank canvas. Then I thought, well, how can I decorate them and amp up the flavor of the Gevalia Mocha Latte drink?

Caramel! I poured some caramel syrup into a squeezy bottle, and drew a cute heart on the cookie.

Pretty easy, just go slowly! You can also make initials, draw a flower, happy face, etc. Plus you can really use any syrup that has color to it and a flavor profile that will complement your drink.

Then you gently place it onto the foam of the mocha latte and enjoy! These may seem like an extra step, but it’d be so cute to do this sort of thing on Christmas morning, right?

It’s so simple, and who doesn’t love cookies with their coffee? I found that if I just used a spoon to scoop the cookie out, and I had a tasty treat to munch on with my coffee. I also found that just letting the cookie sit in there makes my mocha latte heaven in a cup. The gooey pieces of mocha-soaked cookie swirling around are AMAZING. But, just so you know, the foam holds it up well enough that it doesn’t get soggy instantly.

There you have it! A super quick latte (with art) thanks to new Gevalia café-style K-Cups. You can find a coupon for $1.50 off these new K-Cups over here. If you want to learn more about the Gevalia product line, check them out online/social media. They often do free samples, so it’s worth it to follow their streams so you can get deals and samples.

• Gevalia Website: http://www.gevalia.com

• Gevalia Twitter: @Gevalia  https://twitter.com/Gevalia

• Gevalia Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GevaliaCoffee

What is your favorite K-Cup? I’ve only had my Keurig for 2 months, and I’d love to hear about which products you love!

My husband and I are sort of thrilled I was chosen for this sponsored Collective Bias campaign with #KraftRecipeMakers because we are always so short on time and stressed from work to cook. Sometimes we come home to quickly eat dinner and then have to go back to work. I know…no fun!

We use that as a constant excuse to eat out, and it doesn’t do our waist lines and bank account any favors. The new Kraft Recipe Makers line (seen below) takes the guess work out of “What to make?” or “What’s a good, quick meal?” I loved how affordable the product was, and it’s definitely something I’ll be adding to my Walmart shopping list from now on. The meal starter kit was about $3, and there’s several recipes on the box to help you get inspired or creative. Overall, this recipe can feed a family of four for about $20. Try doing that at a restaurant!

Personally, I like using meal helpers like this because they take the fuss out of a home cooked meal. I love, love, love pot roast, but I hate all the prep and stuff that can go with it. These open faced pot roast sandwiches are super easy, there’s literally under 15 minutes of prep, and it is delicious. My house smelled like heaven while this roast was cooking. Pairing simple, fresh ingredients with the Kraft Recipe Makers can make any night, even a tiresome weeknight, a special occasion. Quick, easy family meals don’t have to be a chore.

I made this as a crockpot recipe, because it’s super quick to get this going in the morning as I head out, and when I come home after work dinner is literally ready to be served. It simply doesn’t get any easier than that, folks.

The recipe is at the end of this blog post, but I do want to highlight a few things I did to put this recipe over the top.  I whipped out my trusty cast iron skillet to give my chuck roast a crispy, peppery crust. Any pan can work; I just happen to be kind of obsessed with my cast iron skillet right now.

This herb sauce? Oh. Em. Gee. It’s so tasty, and it really brings out the savory, mouthwatering flavors of pot roast. Bravo, Kraft!

When picking out a bread for your sandwiches, try to pick something like a garlic herb loaf. It’ll make your entire recipe/dish a bit more flavorful, and who doesn’t love tasty, crusty bread? Yum.

And finally, it really is super simple to start with this…

And end up with this. Yes, those are homemade mashed potatoes, and no it didn’t take me more than 10 minutes. Pinky promise!

Open Faced Pot Roast Sandwiches
MonicaWantsIt.com
Servings: 4
Ingredients:

• 1 Kraft Recipe Makers Kit (New England Pot Roast Kit)
• 2.5 lbs. beef chuck roast
• 1 bag of baby carrots (1 lb.)
• 1 white onion, sliced
• 16 oz. bag of microwaveable baby reds (found in produce section)
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 2 oz. light cream cheese
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 loaf/8 slices of bread (I used garlic herb from Walmart)
• Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Sear your chuck roast in a cast iron skillet on both sides. Coat chuck roast with pepper before searing each side (no salt!).
2. Throw your baby carrots, sliced onion, and chuck roast into a slow cooker/crockpot. Pour the Kraft Recipe Makers Classic Herb Simmer Sauce all over the roast. Set your slow cooker to cook on high for about 7-8 hours. A slightly larger roast will yield a longer cooking time.
3. When there’s 15 minutes of cooking time left (or when you come home from work/shopping/etc.) pour the finishing sauce over the roast and allow to cook for 15 more minutes. In the meantime…
4. Warm-up or lightly toast your slices of bread with some butter. I threw my slices in a 350 degree oven for about 7 minutes while I made the mashed potatoes.
5. Throw your microwaveable baby reds in the microwave for 6-7 minutes. Once they’re cooked, toss in a bowl and mash with milk, cream cheese, butter, and salt/pepper to taste.
6. Grab a plate, arrange 2 slices of bread, top with about 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes, and a hearty serving of pot roast. A dash of cheddar cheese adds gooey awesomeness.

That’s it! Maybe 10 minutes of prep before tossing it into the slow cooker, and maybe another 15 minutes to prep to serve and you have a tasty, semi-homemade meal that your entire family can quickly enjoy. And if you want to be extra fabulous, you can arrange your bread so that you end up with a heart shaped sandwich.

Awww. :)

Every bite is better than the previous one. I love the buttery bread, the creamy mashed potatoes, and the salty, savory pot roast in each bite. These sorts of recipes make me want to eat at home rather than eat out. Am I right?! Daniel and I could eat this once a week and not get bored. No more stress eating out for us!

You can find out more about the awesome products by Kraft Foods over on their Facebook page.

What are your favorite pot roast recipes? Do you enjoy cooking with a slow cooker in your home? Let’s talk about it in the comments section (please!)

In anticipation for fall, I’ve worked on 2 tasty fall inspired recipes as part of a sponsored post for Collective Bias®. These recipes are easy, delicious, and quick to make.

Here’s the first one!

Fall is definitely my favorite time of year. I get beyond ecstatic when I see the fall preview start at Bath & Body Works—I am PUMPED for all things pumpkin from that point onward. And fall also reminds me of taking drives with my mom around San Antonio. She’d take me to get my most favorite French vanilla cappuccino from the local gas station, and we’d drive around killing time. We’d shop, see a $1 movie, or just explore the town. Now that I don’t live quite that close to her, these sorts of recipes help bring a bit of nostalgia into my kitchen and heart.

Candy Corn M&M’s have been one of my other fall obsessions since they came out in 2011. They have the familiar taste of candy corn with a dash of sophistication because of the white chocolate. They melt in your mouth, and they’re so sweet and satisfying.

When thinking of fall goodies, I knew I had to find a way to use some delicious candy corn M&M’s and pumpkin. It may seem like an odd combo when you first think about it, but trust me, they’re a match made in heaven.

These candy corn M&M’s pumpkin bars are so moist, and they have all the familiar flavors of a pumpkin pie with the added sweetness of the candy corn M&M’s. The result is a cake bar that is anything but dense. I cannot get enough of these cake bars. I am sort of happy I only make one 8x8 pan at a time or else I’d be gaining a ton of weight. I think this fall recipe is perfect for potlucks, football games, or simply as a way to spruce up weeknight dinners.

But enough of my jibber jabber, you probably want the darn recipe already, right? Well here it is!

Candy Corn M&M’s Pumpkin Bars
MonicaWantsIt.com
Servings: 9 • Size: 1 cake bar
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (or just use another 1/2 cup of regular flour)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup 2% milk
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of Candy Corn M&M’s

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray.

-Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, and pumpkin until well mixed. Add in the milk, butter, and vanilla extract. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, toss in the M&M’s and mix together.

-Pour it all into the greased 8x8 pan. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 30 minutes, cut into 9 cake bars, and enjoy!

The Candy Corn M&M’s are marbled throughout the bars, and they just melt when you take a bite. It’s the perfect amount of sweetness.

Each bite tastes better than the last. Ohmygosh.

And of course, you need a fall-esque drink to go along with these babies. How about some pumpkin spiced apple cider topped with homemade whipped cream? Yes. Definitely yes.

I LOVE apple cider, especially when topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel. It is warm, tasty, comforting, and whipping this cider up will make your entire house smell absolutely divine. It’s so easy, too, thanks to Mott’s 100% Apple Juice. Tart, yet sweet, and just perfect for fall baking and ciders. And topped with my homemade whipped cream? Well, let’s say you’ll never  need to spend money on fancy coffeehouse ciders again.

You’re welcome.

Pumpkin Spiced Apple Cider w/Homemade Whipped Cream
MonicaWantsIt.com
Servings: 8 • Size: 8 oz./1 cup
Ingredients:

• 64 oz. Mott’s 100% Apple Juice
• 4 sticks of cinnamon
• 4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Homemade Whipped Cream (Optional)

• 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
• 4 tbsp powdered sugar (or Splenda for baking)
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions for the Cider:
-In a heavy saucepan, pour in the Mott’s 100% Apple Juice, cinnamon sticks, and pumpkin pie spice. Bring it up to a boil using a whisk to constantly mix the cider. Once it comes up to a boil, remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. You could also put into a crockpot to keep warm, if needed.

Directions for the Whipped Cream:
-In a glass bowl, pour in your heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and spices and mix with a hand mixer until soft peaks start to form. Taste, and add more sugar/spices if needed or desired.

I know that this cider has a lot of pumpkin pie spice in it, but that’s what makes it so good. Some sips you swear you taste pumpkin pie, and then the next sip you taste apple pie. Delish! Topped with the homemade whipped cream it’s just out of this world delicious. If you really want to make it gourmet, add in a drizzle of caramel. This recipe is also easily halved or quartered if you want to make it on demand.

Mmm. I’m enjoying these a lot lately while blogging or watching football.

I hope the Candy Corn M&M’s Pumpkin Bars and the Mott’s Pumpkin Spiced Apple Cider recipes will help get you in the fall spirit! I encourage you to create lots of wonderful memories this fall now that the weather is cooling off a bit. Take time to de-stress, enjoy life, and be with those you love.

What are your favorite fall/seasonal treats? I’d love to know!

And if you’d like to get more ideas and inspiration from M&M’s or Mott’s, make sure to follow them on social media (I do!):

• https://www.facebook.com/mms
• https://www.facebook.com/Motts

For more great ideas visit the Fall Baking and Entertaining Pinterest Board.

Again, I am writing about coffee. I love, love, love it. Today, I have for you a coffeehouse inspired drink recipe that will make you want to make coffee at home all the time. It’s so tasty, delicious, creamy and so not low calorie. But it’s the perfect treat after a long day, and boy is it sweet and refreshing. My favorite thing about coffeehouse drinks is that it tastes gourmet and it’s not one-dimensional flavor. That was my goal when whipping up a tasty coffee recipe for you all today.

My least favorite thing? Spending $5 on something that lasts me a few minutes. I tend to chug, not sip, creamy iced coffee.

I am a big french vanilla fan, but for this recipe I got adventurous with some Coffee Mate Hazelnut creamer. Hazelnut is not a flavor I gravitate towards, but now I definitely will. It has a sweet, nutty, toffee like flavor that is AMAZING.

Let’s make some some creamy hazelnut iced coffee!

Ingredients for 2 servings (8 oz each):

-2/3 cup of Coffee Mate Hazelnut creamer

-2/3 cup of Splenda

-1 tbsp of caramel syrup/sauce

-2 tbsp of toffee crumbles (optional)

-Whipped cream topping (optional)

-Ice

-16 oz of brewed coffee

---

For this coffeehouse recipe, brew up about 16 oz. of your most favorite coffee. Once it’s done brewing, let it sit for about 15 minutes. Unload the dishwasher, start on breakfast or put in a load of laundry.

After 15 minutes, take a glass and overfill with ice. Your coffee will still be a tad warm, so it’ll melt the ice down to fit in the glass.

Pour about half of your coffee in the glass (8 oz.) and then add in 1/3 cup of Coffee Mate Hazelnut creamer, 1/3 cup of Splenda, 1/2 tbsp of caramel sauce. Mix, mix, mix! Top with a dollop of whipped cream and toffee bits.

This drink will easily satisfy any fancy schmancy coffeehouse drink craving you may have, and it’ll save you money. Also, the Splenda helps cut down on some of the calories from sugar, so indulging in some extra creamer and caramel is no big deal. My favorite thing about this drink is that it has a different flavor profile than my usual french vanilla. This drink is more robust, milky, and nutty than I usually drink. Delicious!

But, it’s also fun to use these creamers to cook with. I have been in the mood for some custard. I love creamy vanilla custard filled pastries, so I thought, why not make my own using creamer? So I did! ADDICTING! I can imagine this custard inside turnovers, eclairs, pies, etc. It is so tasty, and this recipe makes plenty. This custard is good hot or cold, but I prefer it chilled with cinnamon apples on top. I’ll show you how easy it is to make this.

Custard Ingredients (Makes about 3 cups):

-1 cup of 2% milk

-1 cup of Coffee Mate French Vanilla creamer

-1/4 cup of Splenda

-2 tbsp cornstarch

-2 eggs, lightly beaten

-1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Cinnamon Apples (I’d make 1 apple for every 2 people):

-1 Apple, peeled

-1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon

-1/4 cup of Splenda

Get your cinnamon apples ready, and bake them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. If you’re in a hurry, you can also microwave them in a glass dish for 4-5 minutes at 50% power.

Meanwhile, get your custard ready! This part goes so fast that I didn’t get any photos for fear of ruining it all because I’ve never made custard before.

Have your eggs beaten and set aside in a bowl. In a sauce pan over medium heat, add creamer, milk, sugar, and cornstarch. You’re going to want to scald the milk, meaning there will be bubbles at the edges of the pan. Once that happens, take the saucepan off the heat (but keep the burner on), and mix in about 2 tbsp of the mixture into the eggs.

Slowly add in the egg mixture to sauce pan, put it back on the burner and STIR! Stir like crazy. I found a whisk and fork proved most handy to ensure the custard didn’t have egg pieces in it. Stir, stir, stir! Your custard will begin thickening, but don’t let it boil. I put a lot of muscle into it, and my custard is smooth and creamy.

I let it cool down a bit before I transferred it all to a glass bowl and added in some vanilla extract. Then, because I am impatient, I chilled it in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Finally, I served up my custard in some ramekins and topped with warm cinnamon apples.

Oh. My. Gosh. So good. So tasty. It’s comfort in a ramekin.

So, Coffee Mate creamer is GREAT for coffeehouse inspired drinks and it’s great for making custard, too. You could totally do this with another flavor (perhaps Hazelnut?) of Coffee Mate creamer, and I think you’d have the same results. Try this at your next dinner party for something that is sure to impress and easy to throw together.

If you’d like to head out to Walmart (like I did) and try some Coffee Mate creamer, make sure to print out a coupon for $1.00 a bottle. I love me some coupons.

Do you use creamer in creative ways besides coffee? Let me know if you have any more recipes because I have a lot of creamer in my fridge! :)

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and Nestle Coffee Mate #CBias #SocialFabric #ad

This year, for some odd reason, I am having so much trouble getting my house decorated and all my holiday shopping done. I’m just not motivated!

I don’t want to be scrooge, but I think this time of year is so stressful. I’m worried about work, home, family and money. Well, I can’t fix all of those worries all at once, but I was happy to learn I could save a substantial amount of money while shopping for gifts this year. We have had a MasterCard for many years, and I just now learned about the MasterCard Marketplace. Better late than never, right?

It’s an online portal/website where people with MasterCards (we have a MasterCard debit card) can shop and get exclusive discounts to local and online retailers. There weren’t any local places near me with discount vouchers I could buy, so I took a look at their “Offers by Category” section, and I found Score Big on there. It’s a site where you name your own price on tickets to sport and concert events. I clicked on “GET OFFER” and made note of the discount code exclusively for MasterCard holders, and I snagged some super cheap tickets to an NFL football game. My hubby is OVER THE MOON excited because he is a Houston Texans FANATIC.

Not only did I save by naming my own price on Score Big…I then saved another 35% percent simply for having a MasterCard and using it at checkout. Shipping was lightning fast, probably because the game is this weekend. Eek!

I was looking around at other offers, and there are great deals to be had on gourmet gift baskets, spas, restaurants and even travel. So, if you’re on a budget and shopping at the last minute (aren’t we all?) then this might be the perfect way to get a lot accomplished quickly. Most of the merchants are still taking orders in time for Christmas/holiday delivery. I enjoyed using the MasterCard Marketplace, although I wish it would have more local offers for my area. It was easy to navigate, and I never imagined I could save money on NFL tickets just by having a MasterCard.

However, the deals change daily, so if you want something, buy it when you see it. I learned that the hard way with one of the offers.

And on a totally unrelated note, I love the MasterCard Instagram account. Lotsa pretty pictures, like this one:

Image credit: MasterCard Instagram

If you want to try your holiday luck at winning some awesome prizes, then join in on #FinishMyList party 2-3 ET 12/13 for shopping tips. Great Prizes courtesy of MasterCard!http://cbi.as/czuby

What are your tips for shopping smart and quickly during the holidays?

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and MasterCard #CBias #SocialFabric #FinishMyList

During the holidays I love to bake, but I love to bake things that aren’t too complex. I don’t want to spend hours baking after spending hours at work…not my idea of fun. That’s why I love simple, delicious holiday recipes. I made cookies for a holiday baby shower, and boy are they tasty. Not crunchy, not too chewy + they have a nice sweet, yet salty flavor thanks to the Butterfinger Jingles.

I picked up a bag Butterfinger Jingles and Crunch Jingles at my local Walmart for about $2.78 a bag, and each bag comes with about 30 bells. You’ll need about 20 Butterfinger Jingles to make these simply delish Jingle Sugar Cookies. In about 20 minutes, including prep time, you’ll have tasty cookies.

Chop ‘em.

Next, mix your flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In a large mixer, beat your butter and sugar until they’re totally blended.

Add in your egg to the butter/sugar mixture, and continue to mix together. Slowly add in the dry ingredients.

Now your dough is ready for Butterfinger Jingles! Use a spatula to mix in all the pieces of Butterfinger into the dough.

Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, portion out your cookies onto a greased cookie sheet. You should end up with about 24-28 cookies.

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees until golden brown and enjoy! You can view the full recipe for the Jingle Sugar Cookies over here.

Now, I love to eat candy, but I also use it for decorating my living room! While entertaining, I like for guests to be able to munch on stuff while hanging out, so I take some simple vase filler crystal gems and layer them about 1/3 of the way up in a glass votive holder or hurricane. I sprinkle a generous amount of Butterfinger/Crunch Jingles on top of the gems, add in a festive LED tealight and…

I end up with an instant décor piece that serves as beauty and function. The LED candlelight bounces off the crystal gems and the foil from the Crunch Jingles makes it sparkle! Add a cute little bow, and it’s instantly snazzy. They’re affordable enough to make a few to place in common areas such as living, dining, and family rooms. Each one is roughly about $3 (glass, LED votive, candy).

And by using an LED tealight my chocolates won’t melt and my guests won’t burn themselves while reaching in for a treat. One bag of Crunch Jingles can easily make 1 large centerpiece or 2-3 small ones. These are also great hostess gifts since the hostess can use the glass, gems and LED tealight long after the holidays! I currently have 3 of these in my living room, and it may explain why my pants are fitting snug these days.

As always, Pee Wee is trying to see what in the world is going on. If there is food, Pee Wee is there. Wonder where he got that from?

Nestle candy is great for baking, but don’t forget about how it can be used as décor, too. Hang candy canes on a tree, make cookie ornaments, use candies to designate/jazz up place settings at the dinner table…the options are endless and affordable. For more great holiday recipes and ideas, check out www.nestleseasonalrecipes.com

Do you use candy when baking cookies? Do you ever use it to decorate your home?

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Nestle #CBias #SocialFabric #HolidayCandy