Little Caesars Bacon Wrapped Crust Deep!Deep! Dish Pizza Review and Giveaway

Its no secret I have a love for Pizza. Even so much my 5 year old seems to know since he was "interviewing" me and asked what my favorite food was, I hesitated and he said its pizza! When I asked my son what he wanted to do on my next day off he said he wanted to have a pizza picnic at the park. I thought that was an awesome idea and it is something we try to do every so often. Some people bring sandwiches and chips to a picnic we bring pizza and bread sticks. 

Since Little Caesars is HOT-N-READY and affordable it is our go to pizza place for pizza at the park. We wanted to try the new Bacon Wrapped Crust Deep!Deep! Dish Pizza. Pizza and Bacon are always a delicious combo but this is the first time I have ever eaten a bacon wrapped pizza. I must say it was delicious. Its a very filling pizza like the deep dish I have eaten before just better cause there is bacon on it!! 

Little Caesars proudly introduces their HOT-N-READY Bacon Wrapped Crust Deep!Deep! Dish Pizza, for just $12 bucks. That’s a large, 8 crunchy corner slices of Deep!Deep! Dish Pizza topped with pepperoni and bacon, then wrapped in over three and a half feet of crispy bacon. No calling ahead or waiting for your pizza, because it’s HOT-N-READY everyday between 4pm to 8pm only at Little Caesars, world’s fastest way to pizza. Available for a limited time at participating locations, $12 plus tax. 






We had a wonderful time with our pizza picnic at the park and even had leftovers. My son was wanting seconds as soon as we returned home. You can find the nearest Little Caesars Pizza to plan your own pizza picnic or other pizza adventure by using the store locator.

You can win a $20 Little Caesars Pizza gift card to have your own pizza adventure with the new Bacon Wrapped Crust Deep!Deep! Dish by entering the Rafflecopter giveaway below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts March 23 2015 and ends on April 6, 2015 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent gift card to review the pizza for this post.

Pear Upside-Down Cake Recipe

Yesterday when I was in the grocery store, I couldn't help noticing all the gorgeous looking fruit available. Everything just looked so ripe and luscious, especially the pears.

Since I love desserts made with fruit, like my Apple Cake, and my Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, I decided to make this Pear Upside-Down Cake with the pears I had bought.

It turned out delicious, and my family had a great dessert on a busy weeknight, which they really appreciated. I didn't have a lot of time to make these kinds of cakes when my five kids were growing up. So much of motherhood is just getting through the day with everyone clean and fed.

So it's nice to be able to spend the time making a cake like this now. It's not really that food is love, or maybe it is, but taking the time to make something for the people you love.

 

Of course everything tastes better with a scoop of ice cream on it, right? This cake is well worth the effort, and holds together really well, perfect for taking it to a friend's house to share it, or even on a picnic.

Just make sure your pears are nice and ripe, and try to use Bosc or Anjou variety. And when you flip it over onto the cake plate when it's done, I let it rest for a couple of minutes like that so the cake comes out in one piece.

Recipe for Pear Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 firm but ripe pears (like Bosc or Anjou) peeled, cored, and sliced
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9-or-10 inch round, metal cake pan, over medium heat, melt 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter with the brown sugar. Stir until butter melts and mixture is slightly caramelized, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Arrange pears slices, slightly overlapping, in a neat circular pattern on top of the caramel.

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat remaining 1/2 cup butter with flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla for 1 minute on low speed. Increase speed to high and beat 3 minutes longer. Pour batter over pears in the pan.

Bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Run a thin spatula around the edges of the cake and then invert onto a heat-proof cake plate. Let rest for 2 minutes and then remove pan.

Serve cake warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
Serves 6-8.

Cherry Bread Pudding With DOVE® Fruit

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

Ever since my kids were little, we have been a family of snack lovers. As in we can't get into the car, walk down the street, or sit down to watch TV without having a snack in hand. My kids are all grown up now, but my grandchildren love snacking too, and we are always looking for yummy new snacks to try.

So when I came across DOVE® Fruit at Walmart, I knew I had found something delicious that we could all enjoy. DOVE® Fruit are whole pieces of real fruit, dipped in DOVE® creamy dark chocolate.

Since I'm such a fruit lover, and I never say no to dark chocolate, these have become my favorite new snack. I get to indulge in something sweet and delicious, and it's a much better choice for me than some of the other snacks I sometimes have on hand.

My favorite kind of DOVE® Fruit has to be the Cherry, so I used them to make Cherry Bread Pudding. I love bread pudding because it tastes so good, and it's one of those old fashioned desserts that make me nostalgic just thinking about it.

Even though I love the Cherry variety the best, the Cranberry and Blueberry aren't far behind. My grandkids eat lots of fruit, especially blueberries, so they really loved the Blueberry kind.

These also make a great addition to yogurt, granola, and cereal. And when I'm running out the door and know I'll be needing a snack, it's so easy to toss a bag in my purse to enjoy when I start feeling hungry.

I made my bread pudding with whole wheat bread and non-fat milk. It's a healthier version of how I used to make it, and I think it tastes just as good.

I'm finding that little changes add up, so using the whole wheat bread makes me feel better about indulging in some of my favorite foods. The chocolate in the DOVE® Fruit melted into the bread and tasted so good. The cherries had just the right amount of tanginess to satisfy me and my craving for a great tasting dessert. Yum!

Recipe for Cherry Bread Pudding with DOVE® Fruit

Ingredients:

2 cups non-fat milk                                           
1/4 cup butter 
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 cups soft whole wheat bread cubes
1 cup Cherry DOVE® Fruit  pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium saucepan, heat milk and butter until butter is melted and milk is warmed.
In a large bowl, mix milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Stir in bread cubes until bread is completely moistened. Stir in DOVE® Fruit pieces.
Pour into baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
Serve warm or cold with whipped cream, if desired.

Makes 5-6 servings.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Look for DOVE® Fruit at a Walmart near you. I found them at this display near the checkout stands, but you can also look for them in the candy aisle.

I always use coupons to save money whenever I can, and you can save too by using the $1.00 off coupon available here for your DOVE® Fruit purchase.

And you can find some really great recipes to inspire you on the DOVE® Fruit social hub. 

What about you, have you tried DOVE® Fruit yet? What's your favorite variety, Cherry, Blueberry, or Cranberry? Please leave me a comment and let me know.

Chicken and Rice Bake Recipe

This is a recipe that my family really loves, and I love how easy it is to put together. It uses two cups of cooked, cubed chicken. I try to have cubes of cooked and frozen chicken in the freezer, and this really helps to make this a quick meal for a busy weeknight dinner.

The black beans and tomatoes give it a healthy boost, and I'm finding that the kids will eat it as long as I don't add any hot sauce to the recipe, and serve it with corn muffins.

The leftovers, if there is any, can be put into a warm tortilla with salsa and sour cream the next day for a yummy lunch. And it's a great make-ahead recipe too. Just pop it back into the oven awhile and it still tastes great.

Recipe for Chicken and Rice Bake

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups white or yellow rice
1 cup chopped onions
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
1 (10oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups grated Mexican style cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare rice according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, sauté onion and bell pepper in hot oil in a medium skillet over medium heat 10 minutes or until tender.
3. Combine hot cooked rice, onion mixture, chicken, beans, corn, diced tomatoes and chiles, and 1- 1/2 cups cheese in a large bowl. Spoon into a lightly greased 3-qt. or 13- x 9-inch baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
4. Bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serves 6.

Switching To Purina® Pro Plan® and A Recipe For A Doggie Birthday Cake

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

As a dog owner, nothing makes me happier than knowing that I'm doing everything I can to make sure our dog is happy and healthy. He's such a big part of our family, and I just can't imagine life without him. So one of my biggest concerns is finding a dog food for him that is packed with great nutrition, and a taste he will love.

We've tried feeding him a few different brands of food, but then I found out that switching him to Purina® Pro Plan® dry food would be a smarter choice. The goal of Purina® Pro Plan® is to give your dog the nutrition to be his absolute best, helping him to be energetic and resilient, and maintaining an ideal body condition, healthy skin, and a stunning coat.

These are all very important concerns for our dog, so making the change to Purina® Pro Plan® was an easy decision for us.

I found the most amazing selection of Purina® Pro Plan® at PetSmart, and a helpful staff to answer my questions about which formula of food to choose. I love shopping at PetSmart because I always find everything I need there, and the selection of pet items is the biggest I've ever seen. And of course, I love finding all the cute toys, Halloween costumes and treats there as well.

This is our sweet boy Chewy. He really is the best dog I've ever met, so good natured and loving, and very gentle with my grandchildren. He loves watching any show with animals in it and growls and barks at them. I think this is one of his favorite things in life, besides eating and playing fetch.

Making the switch to Purina® Pro Plan® was easy, and Chewy loved it right away. There was no tummy upsets or noticeable changes that we could see. I really like the fact that real chicken, beef, lamb, or salmon is the #1 ingredient found in all Purina® Pro Plan® dry formulas.

It's the first dry dog food brand to use and be founded on the idea of real meat as the #1 ingredient to help promote total body health. Every high quality ingredient is chosen for a specific purpose.

And just like people, what kind of food that dogs eat will help determine the quality of their health. I know as dog lovers, we all want the best for our beloved pets, so switching to Purina® Pro Plan® can be a healthy choice.

You can share about your dog with like-minded dog owners on the Purina® Pro Plan® Facebook
page here. Share what means the best life for your dog, photos, stories, and more.

We have a large family, so that means it's always somebody's birthday. Birthday cakes and presents are a must for all of those happy celebrations. The first year we had Chewy my grandchildren wanted to give him a party too. So we did, and when his second birthday rolled around, they wanted to do it again.

So now it's just a fact of life that Chewy gets a birthday party every year, just like everyone else. So of course he needs a birthday cake, right?

This year I made him a Peanut Butter Cake. It's got carrots, flour, honey and peanut butter in it. I frosted it with more peanut butter, then I sprinkled pieces of the  Purina® Pro Plan® on top of it. Though it's a dog cake recipe for dogs, humans can eat it too, minus the dog food on top.

Doesn't everyone bake their dog a birthday cake, put a hat on him, and sing him Happy Birthday?

I know it's silly, but it's become a happy family tradition for us, one that my grandchildren have come to love. Chewy even gets presents and it's the perfect time to spoil him.

This is a super easy cake to make, with ingredients I almost always have on hand. I gave Chewy one slice of it on his birthday and kept the rest in the refrigerator. He got a little piece of it for a few days, and I know he couldn't believe his good fortune.

Recipe for Peanut Butter Dog Birthday Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut butter, plus additional
1 egg
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup whole wheat or white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup peanut for frosting the cake

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
Combine the egg, peanut butter, oil, vanilla, and honey in a large bowl, blend well with a hand mixer
Stir in the carrots and mix thoroughly.
Sift together the flour and baking soda and fold into the carrot mixture.
Spoon cake batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.
Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes; then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Frost cake with additional peanut butter and top with dog food pieces.

 If you would like to try this food for your dog,visit the Purina® Pro Plan® MyPLAN website to get your dog's MyPLAN recommendation and a rebate offer for a free bag of Purina® Pro Plan® Dry Dog Food (4-6lbs, up to $18.99.) Good only in U.S.A. A.P.O's, F.P.O's. Void where taxed, prohibited, restricted. Allow 6-8 weeks for shipment. LIMIT ONE REQUEST PER INDIVIDUAL, ADDRESS, or EMAIL ADDRESS. Offer expires 04/30/2015. See full terms.

Visit PetSmart to find the complete selection of all the Purina® Pro Plan® dog foods. And if you're like me, you won't be able to resist popping into the toy aisle to see what's new.

Needless to say, our Chewy is a well loved pup. He's a lucky guy, but we're pretty lucky too because we get to share our lives with such a loyal and loving animal.

Do you ever celebrate your dogs birthday, or bake him a cake? Is there some special treat you make him? I'd really love to know. Leave me a comment.