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Tropical Dream Dessert Bars White Sangria for National Moscato Day with Gallo Family Vineyards Gooey Garlic Cheese Rolls Time Saver Carrot Cupcakes Slow Cooker Oriental Pork Roast No Bake Dessert: Peanut Butter Bars

Tropical Dream Dessert Bars

Tropical Dream Dessert Bars from AmandasCookin.com @amandaformaro

If you like sweet fruity desserts, you’ll want to try these. They are made with tropical fruits and topped with orange zested confectioners’ glaze. Great for a luau party or a summer barbecue, one is probably enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. But, if you have more, I’ll never tell. I made these with dried apricots, crushed pineapple and orange   Read More »

White Sangria for National Moscato Day with Gallo Family Vineyards

White Moscato Sangria at AmandasCookin.com @amandaformaro

It’s only been in the last 5 years or so that I’ve started enjoying a glass of wine in the evenings. Like most people who drink wine, I have a preference. While dry wines are nice for some, I’m partial to sweet and fruity wines. That would explain my adoration for beautiful sangria! May 9th marks the second annual National   Read More »

Dio, My Foodie Bucket List and a $100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

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This post brought to you by dio. All opinions are 100% mine. One of these days I’ll start crossing countries off of my bucket list. There are several places I want to visit, and especially want to eat the foods native to those countries! I want to show you a new site called dio. It’s a cool new creative and   Read More »

Gooey Garlic Cheese Rolls

Gooey Garlic Cheese Rolls from AmandasCookin.com @amandaformaro

Cheese is glorious, as is bread. So marrying the two seems so natural doesn’t it? These rolls should be served warm, fresh from the oven, so that you can really enjoy their ooey-gooeyness. So yes, it will require a little timing on your part, but they’re worth it, believe me! I originally came across this recipe on Pinterest. That led   Read More »

Time Saver Carrot Cupcakes

Time Saver Carrot Cupcakes from AmandasCookin.com @amandaformaro

I love making cake from scratch, but occasionally I’m just pressed for time and turn to the ever dependable box of cake mix. This carrot cake is a combination of the two. You can go out and buy a box of carrot cake mix. Simple. Or you can doctor up a spice cake mix with your own fresh ingredients, like   Read More »

Slow Cooker Oriental Pork Roast

Slow Cooker Pork Roast: Oriental Style from AmandasCookin.com @amandaformaro

It doesn’t have to be wintertime for me to use my slow cooker; this slow cooker pork roast is a perfect example of that. I think I tend to use it more often in the cold weather, but it’s perfect for warmer days too as we tend to be a lot busier then. Think about that. During the winter your   Read More »

No Bake Dessert: Peanut Butter Bars

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars from AmandasCookin.com @amandaformaro

No bake desserts are always a big hit around here. Especially when we are in a hurry or need something quick, like when your teenager says they signed you up for a dessert that they need that day! Ahem. Peanut butter bars are always popular with everyone, especially my kids. So when you combine peanut butter and chocolate and it’s   Read More »

Lemon Bars with Sweet Sour Cream Topping

Lemon Bars with Sweet Sour Cream Topping via AmandasCookin.com @amandaformaro

Do you love the tang of lemon countered by the sweetness of sugar? These fabulous lemon bars are not only beautiful, they taste marvelous and have the perfect combination of sweet and tart. Freshly squeezed lemon juice and grated zest are the secret to the success of these bars. It’s no secret that I love lemon flavored desserts. I’ve been   Read More »

191 Recipes: 12 Free eCookbooks

191 Recipes: 12 Free eCookbooks - AmandasCookin.com @amandaformaro

Recipes. Why are we so obsessed with finding recipes? Because food is what sustains us. Because in order to survive, we must eat. But it’s not just that, is it? It’s much more than that. It’s about finding that recipe that your grandma used to make, or making meals that your picky preschooler will like, or the quest for finding   Read More »

Kraft Fresh Take $100 Giveaway!

Kraft Fresh Take $100 Giveaway!

If you haven’t already noticed, I’m on Pinterest. You know, that visual time-suck that most of us are addicted to? Well, as you can see from the photo above, I’ve put together a board inspired by two of my favorite things: bacon and cheese! See, I participated in a little experiment with Kraft over the last month and created some   Read More »

The Food Processor: 13 Ways to Use It & 20 Recipes to Prove It

The Food Processor: 13 Ways to Use It & 20 Recipes to Prove It

I love my food processor, and right along with my KitchenAid mixer it’s probably the most used appliance in my kitchen. I use it for a multitude of tasks, including making homemade pizza dough, crumbs for breading, and even to make cheesecake! In fact, I’ve written an article for P&G Everyday outlining 13 Unique Ways to Use Your Food Processor.   Read More »

Philadelphia Cream Cheese: 6 Days to Delicious

Living in Wisconsin, I’ve visited several creameries and am familiar with the process of cheese making. It’s a pretty intricate process, one in which you must use fresh ingredients, no waiting for product to be shipped in. That’s why Philadelphia Brand uses only milk from local farmers in close proximity to the creamery that makes their delicious cream cheese. To   Read More »

Creamy Raspberry Jell-O Parfaits

Pretty! Creamy Raspberry Jell-O Parfaits via AmandasCookin.com

It really doesn’t matter if this dessert is for children or adults, there’s just something about a layered Jell-O parfait that invokes a smile. An adult’s eyes will light up, and even if they are too “grown up” to show it, in their mind they are bouncing up and down in their chair with excitement. If you’ve never experienced a   Read More »

Cherry Berry Streusel Dessert Bars

Must make these! Cherry Berry Streusel Dessert Bars via AmandasCookin.com @amandaformaro

Layered with raspberry and cherry jams, sprinkled with a buttery streusel topping and drizzled with tempting glaze, these dessert bars are positively dreamy! Mix things up and use your own combination of jam flavors, or stick with one if you like. I’m pretty sure these are one of my favorite dessert bars to date. I’ve always been a cherry fanatic,   Read More »

Rosemary & Roasted Garlic Chicken Wrap

Rosemary & Roasted Garlic Chicken Wrap AmandasCookin.com @amandaformaro

Do you ever get those chicken snack wraps from McDonald’s? Yum! I hate to admit it, but I like the breaded version better. It’s certainly not as healthy as the grilled version, but I love breading, I can’t help it. So I decided to make my own snack sized chicken wrap at home, but I didn’t want to deep fry   Read More »

Empowering Women Together: Amazing Support for Women Around the World

Empowering Women Together: Amazing Support for Women Around the World

While I don’t consider myself a feminist, I do believe it’s important to support fellow women in business. I was in the corporate workforce for 12 years before leaving to stay home with my children. It was only months later that I delved into working from home and became a female entrepreneur. That was 15 years ago. I chose to   Read More »

Cheesy Pesto Dip

Cheesy Pesto Dip at AmandasCookin.com @amandaformaro

I’m always looking for good dip recipes, especially ones that work well for both fresh vegetable trays and as a cracker spread. It doesn’t matter if it’s a holiday, the big game, or a birthday party, there’s always some sort of dip on my table. I found this Sargento cheese pesto dip recipe and had all the ingredients on hand   Read More »

Dole Fruit Parfaits: A Must Try!

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While my kids are getting older, I still pack them a cold lunch. My youngest in particular loves those little fruit cups and individual applesauce containers, so I make sure I have a big box of plastic spoons on hand as well. My husband is a fruit cup fanatic too, and he’s also one to take a cold lunch to   Read More »

Rainbow Deviled Eggs & Egg Salad

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Easter means that soon, you will have an overabundance of boiled eggs. Once you peel off the pretty shells, you’ll be left with plain white eggs to make into deviled eggs or egg salad. Instead of the boring route this year, make the edible eggs just as pretty as their outer shells! Use my instructions for coloring the yolks, use   Read More »

Creating a Family Cookbook

Creating a Family Cookbook! All you need to know about creating your own, GREAT tips and resources! @amandaformaro

Have you ever thought about turning your cherished family recipes into an actual family cookbook? It’s a great idea for reunions, weddings, birthdays, and holidays like Christmas. Have your family members contribute, especially those favorite’s like Grandpa’s fudge or Aunt Laura’s famous mashed potatoes. It makes for a wonderful family heirloom that everyone will cherish. If you aren’t sure where   Read More »

The Best Sirloin Pork Roast

The Best Sirloin Pork Roast at AmandasCookin.com @amandaformaro

There’s nothing more nostalgic for me than a good Sunday roast. Beef or pork, I’m not picky, I love either one. It’s probably one of the only “grown up” meals I loved as a child and I still remember sitting impatiently at the table as the aroma made me nuts. I’ve made this sirloin pork roast numerous times and every   Read More »

All About Slow Cookers

Slow Cooker 101 - Everything you need to know - AmandasCookin.com @amandaformaro

Ever wondered what size slow cooker to buy? Or maybe what you can make in it, or if there’s any rules for layering your food? Slow cookers are an amazing tool and a real time saver in the kitchen. I use mine often and have done for years. I actually own two different sizes, one is really big for family   Read More »

Cheddar Jack & Bacon Breaded Shrimp with Quinoa

Baked Breaded Shrimp: Cheddar Jack & Bacon AmandasCookin.com #KraftFreshTake @amandaformaro

When I was in my teens, I remember going to Chicago with a good friend of mine and buying deep fried popcorn shrimp. They would fill a paper lunch bag with the crispy little goodies and my friend and I would devour them happily. Of course they were full of trans fats and even a bit greasy, but boy were   Read More »

Mexican Quiche Bites

Mexican Quiche Bites - AmandasCookin.com @amandaformaro

I am all about breakfast. It’s probably my favorite meal of the day as it gets you going, fueling your body for the day ahead. I’m also very much a morning person, which I suppose would explain my love of breakfast. Brunch is fun too, and when you can combine a gathering toward lunch time with the foods normally reserved   Read More »