Eat The Foods You Love With Nexium 24HR And A Recipe For Kielbasa And Veggie Soup

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ChooseNexium24HR #CollectiveBias

Now that the holidays are only weeks away, I'm trying to make sure that I have time for everything I need to do. That means finding simple ideas and solutions to make my life easier. Like most of us, I stress out over work, meals, and finding enough time to spend with my family.

Simple but hearty soups like this Kielbasa and Veggie Soup make getting dinner on the table pretty easy, and there's even leftovers for lunch the next day. But as much as I love these spicy kinds of soups and stews, I have to be very careful about what I do eat.

You see, I suffer from frequent heartburn. If you've ever had serious and painful heartburn like I have, you start figuring out what the triggers are and try to avoid them. Spicy foods, overeating, and stress can all bring on painful heartburn.

Luckily for me, I discovered Nexium 24HR. I simply take one pill each morning and it gives me all-day and all-night protection. Who knew that there was such a simple solution to my frequent heartburn problem?

When I talk about having heartburn, it's a very serious subject for me. Stress and eating the wrong kind of foods combined together, landed me in the emergency room a couple of years ago.

I had a lot of stressful things going on in my life, and one night I was upset, and made the mistake of having a spaghetti dinner with my family. The heartburn was excruciating and the next morning I went to the emergency room because I didn't know how else to make it stop.

Nexium 24HR lets me take control over my heartburn, and lets me stop worrying about it all the time. By taking the purple pill once a day, I can have 24 hour relief from my frequent heartburn and indigestion.

I'm happy to say I've never experienced the kind of heartburn that landed me in the emergency room again. But since I am so susceptible, Nexium 24HR is the simple and effective answer I was looking for.

Now that I have my heartburn under control, I can more easily enjoy cooking and eating some of my favorite meals.

You can make this soup with either Kielbasa or Polish sausage, but I do love the heartiness and spicy kick of Kielbasa.

You just brown the Kielbasa and onions in a little olive oil, and then remove them from the pot. Put in the tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, corn, and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer until the veggies are tender.
Add the Kielbasa and onions bake into the pot, along with the milk and cheese, and stir.

This really is a delicious fall or winter soup that the whole family will love. And now that I have Nexium 24 HR protection, I can enjoy my soup without worrying.

Recipe for Kielbasa and Veggie Soup

Ingredients:

 2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces fully cooked Kielbasa or Polish sausage, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
4 medium all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 16 ounce can whole-kernel corn
1 16 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus extra cheese for on top of soup

Directions:

 In a large soup pot, cook kielbasa and onions in olive oil until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and wipe fat from pan.
Add potatoes, corn, chicken stock, carrots, tomatoes, garlic powder, salt and pepper to pot. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, cover, 15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
Add milk, cheese, onions, and sausage. Cook, stirring over low heat until cheese is melted and soup is heated through.

For me, just one pill a day makes a huge difference in my life, and is a simple solution for my frequent heartburn.

Are you ready to find simple solutions like I did? Just go to Walgreens where you'll find Nexium 24HR in the antacid aisle.

If you suffer from heartburn, what foods would you eat if you didn't have to worry about it?
 I'd love it if you'd like to share.

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies Recipe

I don't know anyone who doesn't like oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, they are certainly one of my favorites. But sometimes I do get a little bored making the same recipes with the same results time after time.

I was craving some cookies today and I was out of chocolate chips, but I did find butterscotch chips in the pantry. Boy, am I glad I used the butterscotch because these are some of the best cookies I've ever made.

Moist and fragrant, these cookies are perfect with a cold glass of milk. My grandchildren loved them as an afterschool snack today.

This recipe makes about three dozens cookies. Keep them in an airtight container and they'll stay fresh for a few days.

Recipe for Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup, plus 6 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups butterscotch chips

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla, mix together well. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix with a large spoon until combined.
Add oats and butterscotch chips, mix well.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake about 12 minutes, or until cookies are light golden brown. Remove to wire rack to cool.

Makes about 3 dozen.

My Favorite Apple Cake Recipe From Smitten Kitchen

I'm truly in the midst of fall happiness, loving all things apple and pumpkin. The kitchen smells so good when I'm baking, and I made this fabulous apple cake again a few days ago for my family. They love the delicious taste of the apples and wonderful moistness.

 

I wanted to share this recipe again with you because it is just so great. And well worth the effort, because for me, nothing beats a cake made from scratch.

One of my very favorite food blogs is Smitten Kitchen. Deb Perelman is such an inspiration, and what I love about her recipes is that they are all completely doable, even for beginning cooks.

This recipe for an apple cake is from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. Let me just say that I think this is the most delicious thing I have ever baked. This cake is so moist, so full of apple tasting goodness, and it will fill your whole house with the most wonderful scent.

It is now on my list of fall and winter favorite desserts to make. And it's certainly a dessert that would be welcome for a party or celebration of any kind.

Recipe for Smitten Kitchen Apple Cake

Ingredients:

Butter or nonstick spray for the pan
6 apples (2 1/2 - 3 pounds) McIntosh apples
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 cups plus 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
Confectioners' sugar, to finish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch tube pan, or coat it with nonstick spray. Peel, core, and chop the apples into 1/2 - 3/4 inch chunks. Toss them with all of the cinnamon and the 5 tablespoons  granulated sugar, and set them aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, orange juice, and remaining 2 cups of granulated sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones, then scrape down the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Stir in the walnuts if you are using them.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Spread half the apple chunks over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples, and arrange the remaining apples on top.
Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean, then transfer to a cake rack to cool.
Cool completely before taking cake out of pan and place onto a serving platter. Dust with Confectioners' sugar and serve.

Serves 12-16

Renaissance Festival in Folsom CA Oct.17-18th

For school my son has been learning about the past. We have learned about the clothing, the tools, transportation and the way of life for people that lived in the past. Being a huge history lover myself it has been a joy to teach him about different time periods of history. To make his history lesson come alive we decided to take him to the Renaissance Festival in Folsom CA. We have been a few times before he was born and my husband took him a few years ago. This was the first time we went as a family and with the idea to learn as we had a good time.

 I would have to say this was the best time we have had at the festival ever! The staff of actors, the vendors and the scenery made it really feel like we had stepped back in time. We saw women spinning wool, a butter churn, catapults that we were able to use, board games from the time era and we even saw a joust!

My son met characters galore! He chatted with a knight, some lords and ladies and even met Queen Elizabeth and learned how to remove his hat to bow.

It is a very interactive festival where kids and adults can see animals, dancing, story time and the food was amazing. You can still attend if you are in the Northern CA area since today Sunday Oct. 18th is the final day they are in town.

Sour Cream Pumpkin Cake Recipe

I'm so happy to see everything is in full pumpkin mode!! The grocery stores and farmer's markets are bursting with beautiful colored pumpkins, and it just makes my heart happy seeing them all.

The same thing is true about cookbooks and magazines, they are filled with so many amazing and mouthwatering photos of delicious fall inspired foods.

A few years ago, I stopped buying many of my favorite magazines because the prices of some of them was just getting beyond what I could afford. But I do buy some of the seasonal issues, especially the fall themed ones. And this is where this delicious Sour Cream Pumpkin Cake recipe comes from.

It's in the Taste of Home Fall Baking magazine, and the magazine is really worth every penny, and one I'll be keeping for a long time to come.

In this cake, there is a spiced streusel center that perfectly complements the cinnamon and pumpkin flavors. The sour cream in it makes it moist and delicious. This cake makes about 12 serving, depending on how you slice it. It was a big hit with my family, and the recipe is one I'll be making again for Halloween.

Recipe for Sour Cream Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients:

2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 1/2 teaspoon cold butter

Batter:

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and allspice. Cut in butter until crumbly, set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream, pumpkin and vanilla. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.

Pour half of the batter into a greased 10 - inch fluted tube pan. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture; top with remaining batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Combine glaze ingredients, drizzle over cooled cake.

Fall Fun at High Hill Ranch Apple Hill California #AppleHill #CA

To celebrate our 14 year wedding anniversary my family and I decided to take a day trip to Apple Hill CA. My husband and I had not been there for over 10 years and it was well over due. This was our son's first trip up there and he loved it.

We only had a few hours for our trip so we selected one farm/ranch of the many in Apple Hill to visit, High Hill Ranch. I selected this place since it was one my husband and I visited many years ago and there is a cute fishing pond there.

When we arrived we could smell all the delicious apples and cinnamon in the air. Its beautiful up in the mountains with huge evergreen trees among the apple orchards. Fall is in full effect in Apple Hill!

We fished for a while, did not catch anything but just relaxing by the water spending time as a family together was priceless. We walked around looking at the craft booths and eateries. We decided on getting Apple Donuts, a specialty at High Hill. The funny part was when we were looking for the donuts to buy we wandered a bit then realized we were being followed by many more people following the aroma of the sweet treats. We were first to the counter and when we turned around there were literally 15 to 20 people in line behind us in a matter of moments. The treats were reasonably priced and we were able to enjoy them on the picnic tables near the pond.

There is an area the kids could play in among hay stacks and other fall themed stuff along with grassy areas among the big trees. It was a perfect place to spend our anniversary with our son.

We would have stayed longer but we had a funny not so funny moment on the way driving up. About 40 minutes into our drive my husband looked over at me and asked, "Did you turn off the oven?" I kinda flipped out and said " Are you joking right now?!?!" We went back and forth a bit about who should have done it and turns out it was kinda on me. I was on edge of tears and wanting to go back home when we saw the Apple Hill next exits signs. My husband being the practical one reminded me he cleans the oven all the time, there is nothing in there and a few hours it on would be like Thanksgiving turkey time and we would be okay if we hurried. I agreed and we had fun but with a hurry up a bit on our minds. When we got home my husband rushed inside to see if it was on, turns out it was off! He smiled and said "Happy Anniversary".

Shop The Albertsons Stock Up Sale and A Recipe For Yogurt Carrot Muffins

                          This shop has been compensated by Albertsons. All opinions are mine alone.
                          #AStockUpSale #Albertsons #CollectiveBias

If you're anything like me, you love saving money on your family grocery bill. Somehow, our appetites seem to be getting larger, while our grocery budget feels like it just doesn't stretch as far as it used to. My family still wants to eat as healthy as possible, and enjoy our favorite brands.

So when I heard about the Albertsons Stock Up Sale, I knew I would be going and stocking up on products to fill my pantry, and saving money too!

My local Albertsons is only a few blocks away from where I live and it's so handy to go to when I've run out of milk or need something last minute for a recipe I want to try.

We shop there weekly, and take advantage of great savings when we buy the weekly products that are on sale. My grandchildren love the friendly bakers and free cookies, and I love the great produce, meat, and wine departments.

We also enjoy the convenience of our local bank branch, pharmacy, and there's even a Starbucks!

So when Albertsons runs a special sale like the Albertsons Stock Up Sale, you can bet I'm going to go and take advantage of low prices on some of their General Mills products.

Look for items on sale that include Yoplait Greek 100 Vanilla Yogurt - $0.88, Yoplait Original Strawberry Yogurt - $0.48, Honey Nut Cherrios 12oz. - $1.88, Progresso Traditional Chicken Noodle Soup - $1.28, and more.

These are my healthy and delicious Yogurt Carrot Muffins. When my grandchildren get home from school they are always very hungry, and it makes me feel happy to give them a snack that is good for them.

The muffins are made with carrots, bananas, and my favorite yogurt, Yoplait Greek 100 Vanilla Yogurt.

Yoplait Yogurts are part of the Stock Up Sale at Albertsons. I eat it out of the carton for breakfast or a snack, but also like using it for baking, too.

These muffins are easy to make, and can be kept in the refrigerator and then heated up with a little bit of butter.

While this is a favorite afterschool snack for the kids, I have to admit I love them with a cup of coffee or tea in the afternoon.

You just stir together the dry ingredients in one bowl, then stir together the wet ingredients in another bowl. The vanilla yogurt, carrots, and bananas are all healthy ingredients that taste great combined together.

Mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients together, and then stir in the carrots. Be careful not to over mix, which can make the muffins tough. Drop batter into a prepared muffin tin, and bake for 18-20 minutes.

Recipe for Yogurt Carrot Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup Yoplait Greek 100 Vanilla Yogurt
1 1/2 medium bananas, mashed
1 egg
4 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup melted butter, cooled
2 cups finely shredded carrots

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together banana, egg, yogurt, butter, and milk.

Slowly add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just to combine.

Stir in carrots until just combined.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, cool on a wire rack.

 

Makes 12 muffins.

 

I found Yoplait Greek 100 Yogurt and Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt in the yogurt and dairy section at my local Albertsons.

Make sure to visit Albertsons from September 30th - October 13th, and stock up with sale prices on some of your favorite products.

Fall is my favorite season, and baking muffins for my family is something I really enjoy doing. And making them healthy muffins like these lets me spoil them just a little bit, which is something we all enjoy.

Do you have a favorite fall or afterschool snack that you love? Make sure you stock up on all your favorites at the Albertsons Stock Up Sale.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread Recipe

Are you as happy as I am now that it's officially fall? This is absolutely my favorite time of the year, especially when it comes to cooking and baking. I love baking all things pumpkin and apple, and I'm always on the look-out for yummy new recipes.

This recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread comes from the cookbook, Sally's Baking Addiction. It's so incredibly moist and delicious. I ended up making another loaf the very next day because it was gone so quickly. The recipe is very easy to make, and I promise you will love the smell in your kitchen as it bakes in the oven.

I can't say enough about how wonderful this book is, and that I have been a big fan of Sally's blog, Sally's Baking Addiction for a very long time now.

Her recipes are always delicious and easy to follow, and her photography is simply mouth watering.

This bread would be fabulous for making two loaves at a time, one to keep at home, and one to give to a friend or share at work. Believe me, people will love this pumpkin bread, and love you for sharing with them!!

My granddaughter Ashley has turned into my little baking buddy. She adores baking with me and we have become a real team. She scoots the chair up to the counter, puts on her apron and is ready to go. She was very proud of this pumpkin bread and I'm hoping this instills a love of baking in her. You never know, she could be the next Sally!!

And excuse the messy background, that's just the real life of a blogger, right??

Here's the recipe for this yummy pumpkin bread. Just a note that the recipe calls for regular sized chocolate chips, but all I had on hand was the mini sized, so either size works.


Recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt together, making sure to break up any large brown sugar lumps. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the pumpkin, vegetable oil, and orange juice, whisking until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and gently mix together using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. There will be a few lumps. Do not over mix the batter. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from getting too brown. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack before removing and cutting. The bread will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Applesauce Pecan Cake With M&M's® Pecan Pie Topping

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and it's advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BakeInTheFun #Collective Bias

I'm so excited that fall weather has finally arrived here in the Seattle area!! After an unusually warm summer, it feels so good to pull out my cozy sweaters, start a fire in the fireplace, and do some fall baking.

Fall is my favorite season, I love everything about it. I love getting out all my old cookbooks and starting to plan what apple and pumpkin desserts and treats I'll make for my friends and family.

When I heard that M&M's® had come out with delicious M&M's® Pecan Pie, I knew they would be a part of my first cake of the season. This Applesauce Pecan Cake is moist and tender on the inside, and topped with chopped M&M's® and pecans. And I wish you could have smelled my kitchen while it was baking. Heavenly!

M&M's® has come out with some amazing new flavors the last few seasons, and I've tried pretty much every one. They have all been delicious, but I think the pecan is my favorite.

I picked up a couple of bags while I was at Walmart, along with a few things I would need to make my cake. I use Mott's® Applesauce whenever I make this cake, and frost it with Pillsbury™ Creamy Supreme® Cream Cheese Icing.

When I got the M&M's® Pecan Pie home, of course I had to try them immediately. It's a good thing I got two bags because they sure were good!!

When I was shopping at Walmart, I also found these Snapple® Apple Singles. I've always been a huge Snapple® fan, and enjoy trying new flavors. I picked up several bottles to keep in the fridge, and their crisp apple taste reminds me of apples in the fall.

And if you love baking fall treats and desserts like I do, enter the sweepstakes below for a chance to win an awesome KitchenAid® Mixer.

MARS Bake In The Fun Sweepstakes

Baking from scratch is something I find a lot of pleasure in, and it's really not much more effort that using a mix, especially for this cake.

What I like so much about this recipe is that it not only tastes fabulous, it's very easy to make. You simply combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer. Divide the batter evenly into two 8" round cake pans and bake for 30 minutes.

Chop up the pecans, and use a rolling pin to crush the M&M's® Pecan Pie into pieces. Frost the layers with the Pillsbury™ Creamy Supreme® Cream Cheese Icing. Then sprinkle the M&M's® and pecan pieces on top.

Super easy, and so delicious!!

Recipe for Applesauce Pecan Cake

Ingredients:


 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1-1/2 cups Mott's® Applesauce
2 eggs
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup M&M's® Pecan Pie, crushed
container of Pillsbury™ Creamy Supreme® Cream Cheese Icing

Directions:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
 Grease and flour 2 8-inch round cake pans. Put all ingredients into a large bowl and beat with electric mixer until well combined. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes or until done. Let cake cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out and let them cool on wire racks before assembling and frosting.
Sprinkle with M&M's® and pecan pieces.

You can find all of these products in the aisles of your local Walmart.

Be sure to check out more Fall-inspired recipes here. I'd love to know what your favorite Fall recipe is that you enjoy baking. Leave me a comment and let me know.