Regular readers know I appreciate General Mills, Kraft, and Betty Crocker. Well twitter got me hooked up with Lovemyphilly.com and guess what, I was invited to be a tester for an awesome pasta and chicken recipe. Imagine how excited I was!  This was my first invite. You can read all about my first testing experience over at Are you hungry? Anyway, to thank me for participating they sent me a cookbook and coupons for free Philadelphia Cream Cheese. WOW how cool is that, I get to cook, give my opinion, and get free stuff.  The cookbook has almost every cheesecake recipe know. You can find many of those recipes over at lovemyphilly.com.

How about this Philly double chocolate cheesecake, YUMMY!

I just love General Mills Products. Remembering how the mornings used to be, much like a three ring circus, cereal was the breakfast of choice. I asked, rather I insisted, that the kids eat breakfast before leaving the house. That was fine with them until “the teen years!” General Mills made satisfying that demand quite easy! A few weeks back they announced the lowering of sugar in many of their cereals. My friend Mary wrote a great post about breakfast and General Mills move on sugar, PLUS a $6 VIP coupon up for grabs.

Family Features is one of my favorite places to visit. They always provide top notch articles that feature names we all know and love. This month they featured a household favorite combo – the world renowned Bobby Flay and Hellman’s.

“Chef Bobby Flay has teamed up with Hellmann’s(r) and Best Foods(r) Mayonnaise to help parents prepare a holiday meal of real, nutritious ingredients the whole family will love.”
Complement your holiday dinner with delicious sides that satisfy family and guests alike. Roasted New Potatoes with Blue Cheese Ranch Dressing and Green Onions are sure to please even the pickiest of palates. For an appetizing main dish even the kids will eat, try “Stuffing” Crusted Turkey Cutlets. I can tell you that these Turkey Cutlets are fabulous. Finish the meal with a simple, seasonal dessert like Oven Roasted Apple-Cranberry Crisp with Creamy Spiced Chantilly.
Lost when it comes to leftover ideas? Celebrate the day after the holiday by using your leftover turkey and traditional holiday sides to create a Turkey Cuban. For a simple twist on the classic day-after turkey sandwich, mix some mayonnaise with leftover cranberry relish to create a creamy cranberry sandwich spread.

As this year’s brides eagerly anticipate upcoming nuptials, ‘tis the season to shower them with festive attention. If it’s your turn to host a bridal shower, make a streamlined plan so you can join in the fun.

Casual gatherings are more popular today than over-orchestrated events, so keep your shower plans focused on celebrating the bride and giving her a fun time to treasure. Serve some lemon desserts or beverages, which are refreshing, not-too-sweet and highlight a tongue-in-cheek reflection of the sweet ‘n’ sour mix of married life.

Make it delicious, memorable and fun!

Sweet, stress-free tips for a fun shower:

• Determine your menu and ask a couple guests’ help with making punch or treats.
• Invite guests that know each other or that know at least a few people at the party.
• Have a few close friends arrive early to help with last minute details and to bring the party to life.
• Designate an area for the bride to sit to open her gifts. Stock the area with scissors, trash containers and a notepad and pen to record who gave what gift.
• Provide a disposable camera or two to record the fun for the bride’s scrapbook.
• Designate who will be the bride’s note taker and photographer before the event starts.
• Recipe sharing: include recipe cards for dishes served at the shower, for guests to take home; ask guests to fill out “Happy Marriage Recipe” cards for the bride.

Satisfying smoothies can do more than just cool you down on a hot summer day. They can power you up, too.

Whether for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or as a lunchtime refresher, smoothies are a refreshing way to get powerful nutrition. And as a busy mom looking for convenient and tasty ways to boost my family’s nutrition, I’m cheering about how easy it is to do it.

* Fruit juices-orange, cranberry, other favorites–provide antioxidants and essential vitamins we need daily.
* Milk-especially fat-free evaporated milk-delivers essential calcium and protein.
* Add-ins provide an extra punch of super-nutrition:
o Just a half cup of pumpkin, from the can, delivers great fiber and more than a day’s worth of the antioxidant Vitamin A;
o fresh fruit like banana, berries, peach, nectarine or mango add fiber and antioxidants;
o a spoonful of peanut butter adds protein and kid-approved flavor.

If you’ve got teens or other family members who like to make their own smoothies, take advantage of  my tips to make “just in time” smoothie blending a snap:

* Keep cans of fat-free evaporated milk in the fridge for “right now” chilled smoothies.
* Bananas, peaches or other fruit almost too-ripe-to-eat? Toss in the freezer for a future smoothie.
* Fill the freezer with light, low-fat and/or reduced-sugar ice cream-in vanilla and other favorite flavors.

Whether you’re looking for nutritious meal ideas for the family or fun baking projects to keep your summer cookie jar full, be sure to visit VeryBestBaking.com.