Share Your Kitchen Shortcuts With Mueller’s Pot-Sized Pasta

Are you guilty of breaking spaghetti noodles in half to fit into a pot? If you are like me, I'm GUILTY AS CHARGED.

Thanks to the geniuses at Mueller's, breaking that pasta in half is no longer necessary with their *Pot-Sized* pastas. When I discovered this.... I thought... now why didn't I think of that.... Brills!

Serving pasta on one of our many hectic evenings just became that much easier! I'm all about keeping it quick and simple on days that we are limited on time.

The kids still get to enjoy Mueller's pasta, now just in a more convenient size. Whether it served with my homemade spaghetti sauce or with butter and Parmesan cheese, I know that the kids will be thrilled with this tasty dinner option! Mueller's Pot-Sized Pasta is SO SMART... and I will be using it from here on out... no more struggling with THAT other pasta length. 

I love this NEW kitchen shortcut. I absolutely LOVE things that make our hectic life a little easier... so here's a family shortcut tip that I use quite often!

Mueller’s “Share Your Shortcut” Facebook Contest

From now through March 21, Mueller’s is asking it’s Facebook fans to “Share Your Shortcut“— ideas that help move things along in the kitchen, quicker, faster and/or better. The entry with the most votes on their kitchen shortcut will receive a $500 gift card at the end of the promotion! Plus, you can vote for your favorite shortcut once per day to be entered to win one of six weekly drawings for $100.

Vote For My Kitchen Shortcut: Soften Butter In No-Time

Hate waiting for cold butter to soften... it seems to take forever. A quick way to speed up the process: Over a mixing bowl, shred the amount of butter you need on a grater. The little pieces will soften faster than a solid stick. Easy-peasy!

Like my shortcut, feel free to VOTE for it, and enter to win $100.

What is YOUR FAVORITE KITCHEN SHORTCUT?


[Product review & giveaway disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free from the manufacturer of a PR Agency. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." See ace and friends Disclosure Policy HERE.]

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Join Me At The #LittleChefs Twitter Party on December 6th... Chance to Win Fun Prizes!

ace and friends was recently featured as part of  an eBook sponsored by Chef Boyardee. 

Little Chef's eBook has been created with the hard work of other mom bloggers just like me. I was honored to have been asked to be a part of this collaborative project. You can view my portion of the book which is part of Chapter 3 - *Everyday Fun* which begins on page 17.

Join us for a Twitter Party on December 6th!

What: Join us for a Twitter Party to celebrate special holiday moments with family in the kitchen, inspired by The Little Chefs Project, the first-ever crowd sourced e-book on cooking with little chefs! In partnership with Chef Boyardee, The Motherhood and 40 fantastic mom bloggers (including me, yay!) have written a virtual book that will truly make you feel like a kid again. From creating family time in the kitchen to bonding over everyday and holiday fun, we have tips and recipes for creating kitchen magic with your family. 

When: Thursday, December 6, 2-3 p.m. ET

Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #LittleChefs hashtag to track the conversation.  You can see the details and RSVP via this Twtvite: http://twtvite.com/littlechefs

Hashtag: #LittleChefs

Prizes: Chef Boyardee will give away five total prizes, each consisting of a Chef Boyardee Pizza Kit, coupons, a Chef hat, apron and cookie cutters.  Winners will be chosen randomly from among participants who respond correctly to trivia questions.

Hosts: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann

Creating Your Own Personalized Chef Boyardee e-card

You can click here to get to the Facebook app that will take you through the creation of a fun animated e-card - your chance to get in the kitchen with Chef Hector Boiardi himself! http://on.fb.me/R02YjV

Just follow the instructions to create the card and watch what unfolds in the kitchen. After you see the animation, you'll have the option to share it via Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Check out ace and friends' personalized Chef Boyardee e-card....

Most importantly, HAVE FUN and

looking forward to tweeting with you on December 6th!!!

[Product review & giveaway disclosure: This post was part of a compensated Chef Boyardee program through The Motherhood. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." See ace and friends Disclosure Policy HERE.]
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Check Out *ace and friends* Featured in Chef Boyardee's Little Chefs FREE eBook {& Giveaway}

I am so excited to share with all of you a FUN project that I've been working on with several other bloggers. As part of the Little Chef's program, I am currently featured as part of  an eBook sponsored by Chef Boyardee. 

Little Chef's eBook has been created with the hard work of other mom bloggers just like me. I was honored to have been asked to be a part of this collaborative project. You can view my portion of the book which is part of Chapter 3 - *Everyday Fun* which begins on page 17. You can check out *ace* enjoying some VERY tasty smoothies!

As mentioned, I was part of the *Everyday Fun* section and we had a great time making all sorts of smoothies. See *ace* preparing ingredients for their smoothies (this picture didn't make it into the eBook).

Make sure to check out our eBook and learn creative new ways to enjoy cooking with the little chef's in your home. You will find lots of great tips, recipes and inspirational ideas to make everyday cooking with your little ones so much MORE fun! 

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Win It

One LUCKY ace and friends reader
will win Chef Boyardee Little Chefs Prize Pack which includes:

Kids’ kitchen measure and prep kit

Kids’ recipe box

Scrapbook album

2 Chef Boyardee chef hats

Chef Boyardee adult apron

Chef Boyardee child apron

Chef Boyardee pizza kit

Time capsule

2 coupons for free Chef Boyardee Beefaroni

5 Chef Boyardee recipe cards

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Join Me For A Little Chefs Cook-Along Class *Everyday Fun* on Thursday October 25th - #LittleChefs

What is The Little Chef's Cook-Along?

 A virtual Cook-Along called Everyday Fun, part of The Little Chefs Project series on The Motherhood.

The Little Chefs Project series consists of live chats called Cook-Alongs taking place every Thursday at 2 p.m. ET until November 15, and each Cook-Along covers a different topic around cooking with kids. Everyday Fun addresses how you and your kids can create fun, lasting memories in the kitchen around events like sleepovers or holidays, or around everyday events like family dinners.

About the class

From weekend breakfast rituals to holidays like Halloween, you can find any occasion to cook up some everyday fun with your kids. Grab a can of Chef Boyardee and join in for further inspiration and ideas for getting started. 

To Participate

Everyday Fun is scheduled for Thursday, October 25, at 2 p.m. ET.  It will last 30 minutes.

To participate,  join us at The Motherhood. Log in using your member ID (if you don’t have one, it’s easy and free to sign up) and chat away in the text based comments. There is also be a video feed running during the half-hour Cook-Along  so you’re welcome to show up simply to watch if you’d like!

The Cook-Along is sponsored by Chef Boyardee, and it is hosted by The Motherhood.  You can visit Chef Boyardee online athttp://www.chefboyardee.com/ or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/chefboyardee.

I’ll be there with several other bloggers to co-host the class, and I hope you’ll join us!  The fabulous people who will be co-hosting with me are:
     
Brett, This Mama Loves Her Bargains http://mamalovesherbargains.com/ 
Carrie, Making Lemonade http://www.makinglemonadeblog.com
Christi, Frugal Novice http://frugalnovice.com Corine, Complicated Mama http://www.complicatedmama.comKim, Shop With Me Mama http://shopwithmemama.comMichelle, Ace and Friends Co. http://www.aceandfriendsco.com Roxanne, Children Teaching Mama http://www.childrenteachingmama.com

Everyday Fun Cooking is SO easy...

4 year olds can do it too!

I have been a fan of Chef Boyardee since I was a wee-little kid. We would always look forward to having one of our many favorites, especially during the winter time. Something about Chef Boyardee + Fall = happiness. I wanted to bring those same happy memories to my own kids and incorporate their delicious line into our mealtimes. My kids always recognize the Chef Boyardee labels and get so excited to eat whatever is being served that day. We love Chef Boyardee and had a great time sharing some of our favorites with our friends while incorporating *Everyday Fun* while cooking.

Chef Boyardee products are easy to incorporate and use in simple, quick and tasty recipes. We decided to make Pepperoni Spaghetti Bake using Chef Boyardee's Spaghetti & Meatballs.

This recipe only uses 5 ingredients and was easy enough for a four year old little chef's to create. 

The Little Chef's Masterpiece!

The kids had a great time working together and creating this absolutely tasty dish! We are planning our next cooking extravaganza and plan to make Taco-roni which incorporates Chef Boyardee Beefaroni with tomatoes, black beans and corn, topped with cheese and crunchy tortilla chips for a taco-inspired dish. Add a little sour cream, avocado and salsa... that's Chef BoyarDEELICOUS!

Hope you have a chance to stop by!

[Product review & giveaway disclosure: This post was part of a compensated Chef Boyardee program through The Motherhood. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." See ace and friends Disclosure Policy HERE.]

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Fun, Delicious and Tasty Veggie Recipes With Country Crock

This post is sponsored by Country Crock. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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I don't know about your household, but in ours... vegetables are a hard sell to the kids. No matter how I try and serve them... it's takes a lot of convincing to even get them to try it.


The smart folks at Country Crock just recently introduced something I think my kids are going to LOVE. The Crock Country Chronicles offers easy vegetable recipes ideas that are delicious and more importantly, kid-friendly.


If you head on over to the Crock Country Chronicles, you can download a cookbook for FREE - A Very Veggie World by Clare Crespo.

This particular cookbook offers colorful pictures and inspirational recipes to make serving those veggies a little more fun for the family. From veggie pets to lighting bolts, veggie volcanos to rocket ships, your kids will certainly get a kick out of at least giving those veggies a shot.

For my family, I opted to give the Pasta Full of Posies a try. The recipe was simple to follow and called for the following ingredients:


2 yellow and/or orange bell peppers

1 package (16 oz.) whole wheat penne (or pasta of your choice)

3 Tbsp. Country Crock® Spread
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 5 cherry tomatoes, halved

7 basil or baby spinach leaves 


Chop off top and bottom of peppers. Slice down the side, remove the seeds and lay pepper flat. Cut into petal shapes.

Boil pasta according to package directions; drain.


Melt Country Crock® Spread and heat olive oil on the stove over medium heat in a pan big enough to hold pasta. Cook garlic and peppers together for about 5 minutes. With tongs, remove pepper petals and set aside.

Add pasta and cheese to garlic and toss together. Put pasta in shallow serving dish. Arrange tomato halves on top and surround them with pepper petals to make “flowers.” Add a basil or baby spinach leaf to each flower.
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Thankfully, I had the majority of ingredients on hand and the directions were easy enough to follow.

First, I wanted to get the pasta started.

Then, gathered my veggies - yellow pepper and cherry tomatoes.

Began to cut my flower petal shapes from the yellow peppers.

Added my Country Crock, along with olive oil to the pan.

Saute the yellow pepper flower petals along with the garlic in the pan.

Removed the flower petals from the pan and added the cooked pasta to the pan, along with the parmesan cheese. Stirred for a minute or so.

Once combined, added to a serving dish and created my posie flowers with the yellow peppers, cherry tomatoes and baby spinach leaves.

I loved how it turned out and so did the kids... they said, "How did you do that?" I thought, YES, they LOVE it. The overall flavor of the pasta was actually more delicious than we expected it to taste. The peppers that were sautéed with Country Crock (with  70% less saturated fat, 30% fewer calories than butter and 0 trans fat) had a nice crisp, roasted flavor. The kids added a little extra parmesan to their pasta mixture and were super pleased! Ahhhh... a veggie success!

Want to learn more about Country Crock, please visit:

• Country Crock on Facebook
• Country Crock on Twitter

Are you looking for quick and simple tips and recipes to make serving veggies more fun? Download the free Clare Crespo Cookbook here for fun and whimsical recipes your family is sure to love!



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*Make It Boyardeelicious* with Chef Boyardee {Recipe Contest}

I have been a fan of Chef Boyardee since I was a wee-little kid. We would always look forward to having one of our many favorites, especially during the winter time. Something about Chef Boyardee + Winter = happiness. I wanted to bring those same happy memories to my own kids and incorporate their delicious line into our mealtimes. My kids always recognize the Chef Boyardee labels and get so excited to eat whatever is being served that day. We love Chef Boyardee and had a great time sharing some of our favorites with our friends while having a FUN cooking day. 

Chef Boyardee products are easy to incorporate and use in simple, quick and tasty recipes. We decided to make Pepperoni Spaghetti Bake using Chef Boyardee's Spaghetti & Meatballs.


This recipe only uses 5 ingredients and was easy enough for a four year old little chef's to create. 

The Little Chef's Masterpiece!

The kids had a great time working together and creating this absolutely tasty dish! We are planning our next cooking extravaganza and plan to make Taco-roni which incorporates Chef Boyardee Beefaroni with tomatoes, black beans and corn, topped with cheese and crunchy tortilla chips for a taco-inspired dish. Add a little sour cream, avocado and salsa... that's Chef BoyarDEELICOUS!


Do you also love Chef Boyardee as much as we do? Do you have a creatively wonderful recipe that you would love to share? Make sure you enter the Boyardeelicious Recipe Contest!


By entering the Make it Boyardeelicious Recipe Contest at the Chef Boyardee Facebook page, you have a chance of wining an amazing grand prize: FREE GROCERIES FOR A YEAR!

• Now through March 11, 2012, you can submit an original recipe that uses Chef Boyardee as an ingredient. Simply upload a photo of the recipe, and share why your family loves it.
• Each week, a winner will be chosen based on creativity, all-family appeal, ease of preparation, and palatable appeal by an expert panel of judges.
• Weekly winner will receives a $500 prize as well as $75 in Chef coupons. If you don’t win in one week, feel free to re-enter again following week!
• Each of the top ten finalists from all the accumulated weeks will have the chance to win the GRAND PRIZE. The winner will be chosen based on a combined score of taste points and voting.
• The voting period is from March 26-April 8, 2012. Voters also get a chance a chance to enter to win a daily sweepstakes for a chance to win $100. Want an extra entry... make sure to share it with all of your Facebook friends!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a In Home Party campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Chef Boyardee and received product samples to facilitate my party and review, and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

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