Sometimes, you just feel like a little cake. Especially chocolate cake. (Am I right or am I right?!?) And that’s when mug cakes come in so handy. They are fast, easy and tasty — and they totally take care of the cake craving.

To make a mug cake, you stir together a few ingredients in a mug until it’s nice and smooth. Then you pop it in the microwave for a minute or so. Wait for it to sit for a short couple minutes and you have something incredible.

What’s better is that with a little tweaking of the ingredients, you can add nuanced flavors that make the mug cake really special. That’s exactly what I did with this mug cake. I took my favorite mug cake recipe and traded the normal milk added for International Delight York® Peppermint Pattie Creamer, giving it an amazing peppermint flavor. And then I stirred in some white chocolate chips, which created a fudgy double chocolate bottom to the cake.

It’s super easy. It’s delicious. And it’s ready in under five minutes … does it get any better?

Also, International Delight — the sponsor of this post — wants to know “What’s Your Id?” Head over to that link to see the huge variety of flavors available from International Delight. Seriously — the selection is impressive.

What’s Your ID? International Delight is looking for their most passionate flavor fans. Put your ID on the map to enter to win a Magical Trip, play games and discover more unexpected delight. Share your ID flavor at http://whatsyourid.com.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.

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Summer’s almost here and just about every parent I know is thinking about what their kids will do this summer. On one hand, there’s the relief of relaxed days filled with fun. But you also need to find things for them to do to keep their minds occupied too. And for some parents, there is the stress of finding things for them to do during the days while you’re at work … Summer is a delicate balance like that.

In past years, my kids have filled their summer days with swimming, sandcastle building and fun days with their cousins. There’s been bike riding and library visits too. And we take day trips to explore aquariums, food trends (what? I write about food!) and more.

But this year, I am paying a little more attention to making sure that learning doesn’t fall by the wayside in the summer.

Recently, I was asked to sit in on a call with Microsoft Retail Stores and learn about what they have to offer parents like me. I was so surprised to learn that they offer summer camps. The week-long Youth Spark Summer Camps run for two hours each day, and teach kids things like visual storytelling and digital movie making. Best of all? They are absolutely free (the only catch is that parents are expected to remain at the store during the two hours).

Many stores also feature theater space that you can reserve for birthday parties and other gatherings — and kids get to play Xbox and check out the technology during them (you can reserve them for adult networking too). When I dropped in on the Danbury, Connecticut, Microsoft Store last Friday, there was a party happening in the theater space. The kids, who were doing some super active Kinect game, were jumping around and looked like they were having a blast.

At the store, you can also play with the latest Microsoft gadgets (I checked out the Surface when I was there … it had a pink keyboard). They have phones, Xboxes, computers and more set up and ready to check out.

And if you need a little tech support, the Answer Desk can help. Whether your computer is running slow or you need some help with parental controls, they will walk you through your issues. You don’t even need to book an appointment — just show up! Oh, and the stores offer classes for adults too. It was really interesting to hear how Microsoft is working to provide an environment for learning and explorations.

Have you dropped in on a Microsoft Store? What did you think?

Microsoft Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I am being compensated by Microsoft via The Motherhood for listening in on the call, visiting the store and writing this post. All opinions are my own. Microsoft is also providing the gift card for the giveaway.

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When the weather warms up, I start thinking about lighter foods. The soups and roasts that hit the spot on frigid New England winter days are forgotten in favor of lighter summer fare like fruit, everything grilled and salads. Dinner becomes an art of combining no-cook dishes (can’t heat up the kitchen!) combined with whatever is coming off the grill.

Honestly, I love our foods of summer — the creative salads, smoky grilled meats and tasty seafood. I think it might be my favorite eating season (you can have a favorite eating season, right?).

What I also love is the contrasts of foods in summertime — the sweet fruits served alongside savory dishes. The cool veggies with warm grilled whatever. You get it.

And this Warm Salad with Grilled New Potatoes is all about the contrasts. There’s the crisp veggies and lettuce with the creamy grilled potatoes. There’s the hot potatoes and cool dressing and salad. And of course, the sweet tomatoes and sharp blue cheese. It’s divine.

Making the potatoes is so simple. This is ideally made with new potatoes — little red potatoes that are about one-inch in diameter. But larger red potatoes can be used too (just cut them into a 1-inch dice). You simply combine the potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper in a foil packet. And then you grill them until they are all soft and tender.

Once that’s done, you assemble your salad on plates. Because of the potatoes, this is a pretty filling salad. But if your family has a big appetite, you could also serve it with grilled chicken.

Drizzle it with your favorite vinaigrette … and it’s ready to be enjoyed.

 Have you had potatoes on a salad like this?

PS – Did you know that Betty Crocker (who sponsored this post) now sells fresh potatoes in the produce section? Betty Crocker Fresh Potatoes come in red, yellow, white and russet varieties. The red potatoes would be perfect in this dish.

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Disclosure: I am being compensated by Betty Crocker for creating this recipe. All opinions are my own.

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Six weeks, four days. That’s a mere 46 days — or 1,104 hours, if you prefer. Though it’s probably slightly less than 1,104 hours.

What’s the countdown? It’s the number of days until the school year ends and the kids and I can officially — really and truly — head off the shoreline for a summer of sand and surf. I can’t wait for every salty, breezy, sunny moment of it.

In the meantime, a few friends and I discovered our official beach cocktail of 2013 (not to be confused with the kid-friendly summer drink of 2013). We were sampling a variety of Gallo Family Vineyards Moscato wines (more on that in a minute) when we decided to muddle a berry into a glass and add ice cold Pink Moscato. It was heavenly — sweet, with a hint of bubbles.

I’ve dubbed it the Strawberry Moscato Sparkler. It’s so, so simple, but also super tasty. Especially when the Moscato is ice cold.

So what is this Moscato? It’s a variety of wine that’s a little different than anything you’ve had before. I think of it as a dessert wine, but it can be enjoyed with spicy food too. Moscato is a sweet, slightly carbonated wine that is best served ultra-chilled (stick it in the freezer to get it as cold as can be). I was introduced to Moscato last year in a project I did with Gallo Family Vineyards so when they asked me to join a similar project this year, I couldn’t say no. I am kind of a Moscato groupie.

I love a project that teaches me new things… And this one did just that. Turns out that there isn’t just one variety of Moscato — there’s three. Gallo was kind enough to send over a bottle of each, so, I gathered a group of friends and had a quickie tasting of Pink, Red and the traditional white Moscato.

We sipped and slurped and compared all three varieties, commenting on them as we passed them around. Moscato has a nuanced sweet flavor. Some varieties, like the Pink Moscato have a hint of berries in the finish. While others, like Moscato (the white variety) have hints of peach and citrus. Gallo Family Vineyards’ Pink Moscato was our absolute favorite. I think it might have bad something to do with the group fantasy of watching the sunset on the beach with a glass of Moscato while writing some new fiction.

Hey, a girl can dream, right?

Celebrate the Second Annual National Moscato Day

Gallo Family Vineyards created the first National Moscato Day last year, and they are ready to celebrate big this year on May 9. As part of that, there’s a fab Twitter party happening.

Gallo Family Vineyards (@GalloFamily) will be hosting a National Moscato Day Twitter party from 9-10pm EST. To join in, use hashtags #MoscatoDay #gno.

Will I tweet you there?

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Disclosure: I am being compensated by Gallo Family Vineyards and Mom It Forward for my participation in this campaign. All opinions are my own.

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When my husband and I bought our house nearly nine years ago, one of the first things we did was to buy a shiny new grill — a good one. We were young and excited and spared no expense on our appliances or grill — and that’s something I am very glad for. We made some really good decisions, even if they weren’t the most sensible ones.

Over the years, our grill has resided on three different sides of our house. It’s been bruised and beaten by weather and seasons, and has had parts replaced — including the hood after the original was crushed. But over the years it has remained as reliable as the day we bought it. Still, when I went to turn it on last fall and couldn’t even get the starter to click, I was concerned that our grill was nearing its end time. I mean how many lives can a grill have?

Thankfully, after a long winter of rest and with a fresh propane tank, it’s back to fabulous grilling. Heating it up and tossing dinner on the grates is like a rite of passage in the springtime — a symbolic gesture that formally says goodbye to winter and hello to the warmth and joy of spring and summer. I am so happy to be grilling again.

And these days, I am grilling something super fun. Like “hey, kids, mama’s the coolest” fun.

Grilled Raspberry Cheesecake Turnovers.

Seriously. Dessert on the grill is the best. And in this case, it’s also wildly craveworthy. These tender, flaky turnovers grill up with a note of smokiness. And they are literally stuffed with creamy vanilla-tinged cheesecake and sweet raspberry filling.

My goodness, they’re good.

Not a speck was left from these babies when I handed them over to the kids and Shawn. Not a single speck.

Dessert on the grill?!? Come on, that’s a smart summer grilling move. And just think how awesome everyone will think you are if you make these while dinner’s cooking.

What are you grilling these days?

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Disclosure: I was compensated by Pillsbury for creating this recipe. All opinions are my own.

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Is this breakfast? Or dessert?

Well, honestly, it could be either. An absolutely decadent breakfast, or a little more healthy (not not quite healthy healthy) dessert.

Either way, it’s just really, really good. So good that I am packing some of this granola for a business trip this weekend and hoping I can find just the right yogurt in the town I will be in.

It’s all about the perfect pairing here, I tell you. Liberté Yogurt, which is incredible, asked me to create a “perfect pairings” recipe to go with this thick, creamy, sweet, perfectly flavored yogurt, I practically ran barefoot to the grocery store for supplies. Okay, maybe not really. But you get the idea. I was psyched.

I was already in love this the yogurt.

When my husband first tried Liberté Yogurt a month or two ago, he went on and on about how creamy and decadent it was. His vivid descriptions and incessant praise influenced me to give in and try a cup of it myself. I tried the Liberté Mediterranee Coconut and instantly fell smitten with it.

And what’s better to go with an ultimately decadent yogurt than an equally decadent granola? I mean, hello!

This granola, which combines oats with sweetened coconut, pecans and a sweet dark muscovado sugar mixture that is baked to toasty perfection and then bathed in chocolate, is decadent heaven. And on the Liberté Mediterranee Coconut? It’s just mind-blowingly good.

And, of course, it’s super easy to make too. Which always makes a good thing even better, right?

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Disclosure: I am being compensated by Liberté for the creation of this perfect pairing recipe. All opinions and ideas are my own.

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You’d think that by now, I’d have come to terms with our morning routine and get out of bed when the alarm goes off. Yea. Not so much. So every morning — or rather, every school morning — begins with a mad dash to get breakfast in the kids and to get Will cleaned up and off to school. As a result, breakfast has to be super fast, super easy and filling too.

We end up doing a lot of cereal because it totally fits the easy, fast and filling designation. Score one for the mom who likes to sleep late. Anyway, the kids take theirs with milk, and sometimes sliced bananas and I just eat mine dry out of a bowl.

And since so much cereal is consumed in our house, I’m always on the hunt for good cereals to add to the routine. I like super crunchy ones that are sweet but not too sweet. And they have to be finger friendly. Obviously.

When Mom It Forward asked me to try the new Honey Bunches of Oats Greek, I couldn’t wait. The cereal is a lot like the original — a mix of flakes and granola clusters that’s lightly sweetened with honey. But it’s even better with the inclusion of this creamy little Greek yogurt bits.

It totally had me written all over it, and one bite had me hooked. It’s just darn good.

Of course, my seven-year-old had to try it too. He’s a bit of a cereal addict, and loves filling his bowl with something new. The little yogurt bits and granola clusters were favorites of his — though I think he would prefer to be sans flakes. But can’t win ‘em all, right?

In any case, if you were a fan of Honey Bunches of Oats before, you’ll really enjoy this now. Seriously.

Learn more about Honey Bunches of Oats Greek on the company website, Twitter account (@HBOats) and Facebook page.

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Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Honey Bunches of Oats via Mom It Forward. All opinions are my own.

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Things change. Opinions. Ideas. Directions. Plans. And you kind of just roll with it and see what happens. Still, I am always a little caught off guard by change — especially change that involves my kids taste buds. And boy, have they caught me off guard recently by enjoying some foods with a nip of spiciness.

Not that these Veggie Bean Enchiladas are spicy per se — but they have a little kick to them and the kids love them. Score one for the spicy-loving mama. And for the creamy, cool avocado that offsets the nip of spiciness really nicely.

These Veggie Bean Enchiladas take about 35 minutes to make — but let me warn you: it’s a bit of quick-fire, hands-on cooking, so be prepared for constant motion for the first 10-15 minutes. You start by whipping up a super easy sauce using salsa, vegetable stock and flour — it takes about 30 seconds and is made totally in the blender. Easy as can be.

Then you make part of the veggie filling for the enchiladas while also filling the tortillas with the other part of the filling — refried beans and baby spinach. (Note: I was hired by Old El Paso to create this recipe, so I used their beans in this one.) Once all that is done, you spread sauce in the pan, finish filling the enchiladas and roll them, pour over the rest of the sauce and the cheese. Finally you bake.

It all happens fast.

But, hey, it’s all worth it when you dish out these warm, creamy, cheesy enchiladas with a bite and serve them with cool sliced avocado. Seriously. Worth every single second of work.

Serve these with a big salad.

Disclosure: I am being compensated by Old El Paso for creating this recipe through my partnership with Platefull. All opinions are my own.

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April is National Grilled Cheese Month. (Pausing for appropriate swooning … Don’t worry, I’ll wait. Okay, good now?) I don’t often get excited about food holidays but this is different. Grilled cheese is the thing that happy childhood memories are made of, right?

When I bite into a gooey, melty grilled cheese, I can feel the cane seats of the stools in my grandmother’s kitchen pressing into my legs. With every crunch of the buttery bread filled with creamy American cheese, I can feel the smooth Formica countertop, and picture the stone-like design in earthy red tones of the linoleum floor. Food memories like this are as close to traveling back in time to those happy days of childhood as you can get.

I seriously adore grilled cheese. Anything with cheese, really. So when KitchenPLAY asked me to join in the fun creating a new grilled cheese recipe for the “30 Days of Grilled Cheese” event sponsored by Land O’Lakes, I couldn’t say no.

A few years ago, I discovered Land O Lakes^® Deli American Cheese, which is available in the deli counter. It’s like the cheese I grew up on, but better since it’s freshly cut. And when you melt it inside a grilled cheese, the smooth cheese melts in your mouth with its creamy deliciousness.

For this grilled cheese, I started with a thin bagel turned inside out. I love grilled cheeses on inside out roll-type breads — it adds a new dimension. And thin bagels are a great way to get the feel of that favorite bread without the heft of it. The bagel is buttered, giving a familiar toasted buttery exterior.

Inside this Roasted Portabella Mushroom Grilled Cheese, slices of freshly roasted portabella mushrooms are sandwiched between slices of creamy, gooey melted American cheese.

Say hello to deliciousness.

And one more thing … there’s a pretty awesome thing going on with Land O’Lakes on Pinterest. Here are the details:

Pin a Meal. Give a Meal. From now until May 1, Land O’Lakes will donate $1 to Feeding America every time someone pins or repins a Land O’Lakes recipe on Pinterest. That’s eight meals for a hungry family when you pin a recipe—and eight more every time anyone else repins it. Giving goes viral. Find your favorite Grilled Cheese recipe to pin on landolakes.com.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Land O’Lakes as part of the Kitchen PLAY Sidecar series. All opinions given are my own.

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“Mommy, it’s 7:40,” Will said, walking into my bedroom this morning.

I’m not a morning person. Yet, for two years I was able to rise before the sun and get him out the door for a 7:30 am bus. Then we changed schools, and the school start time — combined with being located literally two minutes from school — meant that we could wake at our leisure, have lazy breakfasts and take our time getting ready in the morning. The kids would often have time to play before Will headed up to the bus stop.

That all changed when the kids’ school was moved to a different building in a neighboring town in January. The long bus ride means that we have to wake early again if we don’t want to have a mad rush to get ready for school. But there are still many mornings where the alarm goes off, and my internal voice says “you have time.” My internal voice is a big ol’ liar.

So this morning, when Will reminded me that maybe I should get moving so he’d make the bus on time, I popped out of bed and started thinking about what I might feed him before he headed off. It would have to be fast, and something he loves so that he wouldn’t dilly-dally while eating. Seriously, these are the things I consider when I am in a rush.

Fortunately, I was recently asked to try Aunt Jemima Lil’ Griddles, these bite-sized pancakes that are supposed to be as good as homemade. This morning all I cared about was that they were fast to cook — and that Will adores pancakes so I knew they would be gobbled fast.

These Lil’ Griddles Blueberry Mini pancakes are the cutest. They are tiny — maybe an inch and a half in diameter — which means that for elementary school kids like Will and Paige, I can just heat them up (in less than a minute!) and give them their breakfast without having to cut them up. No cutting required — though for younger kids, I would cut them since they are just this side of bite-sized for itty bitty mouths.

And the ingredients list? It’s not so bad — there are eggs, milk and flour, along with blueberry bits. They take their tagline, “Every batch made from scratch,” seriously.

The kids were thrilled to have such a fun breakfast, and I loved how easy it was to pull off. And in the end, we made it to the bus stop with time to spare.

All in all, I would call this a win.

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Disclosure: Thank you to Aunt Jemima Frozen Breakfast for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

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