The Power of Breakfast...

Food can mean so much to us and
we all connect with food in different ways.

Food is fun...


Food is pretty...

Food is fuel...

I live in an affluent area in the heart of Silicon Valley, steps away from Stanford University.
But even in communities like ours, people are hungry, especially children.
My own kids know students that regularly come to school hungry.
When you haven't eaten things are cloudy, it's hard to think and concentrate.
It makes the school day even harder.

1 of every 5 children in America live in households without consistent access to adequate food. Nearly half of the eligible children (5 million of them) 

do not receive free or reduced-price school breakfast.

3 out of 5 K-8 public school teachers report regularly seeing students coming to school hungry.

Hunger Is has partnered with Safeway supermarkets,
to expand breakfast programs, providing children with a healthy start to their day.

They want to, "Make Breakfast Happen So Kids Can Be Hungry For More."

So this month, while you are picking up your breakfast essentials, 

please consider giving to make someone else's morning a little more powerful.

From September 1 to 30,  2016, all you need to do to help, is purchase participating items and a donation of at least $0.10 up to $1 million will be made.  Look for tags on participating items in store 

or click here for more information. 

Many of the items such as Peet's Coffee, Quaker Oats and O Organics were already in my cart!

You can also easily and quickly donate at the register,

by adding $1, $3, $5 or any amount onto your purchase.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Albertsons Companies & Hunger Is. The opinions and text are all mine.


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Grilled Donuts and Coffee Ice Cream

I did it...

I managed to combine 3 of my husband's favorite things,

into one amazing Father's Day dessert.

Coffee, Donuts and Grilling...

Donuts and coffee are a classic combo,

 but when you lightly grill the donuts and serve with coffee ice cream, 

your taste buds will never be the same.

To make these, I sliced glazed and sugar donuts horizontally and buttered the cut side. 

Then cooked them on a grill pan over medium heat for just a minute or two.

(you could also use a bbq)

Serve with your favorite cup of joe ice cream...

and of course you will want to dunk...

but this time it's the coffee ON the donut!

Donut Pancakes

What happens when you combine everyone's two favorite breakfast foods?

You instantly become mom of the year!

But what do you name them?

Donuts + Pancakes = Do-cakes? Pan-nuts?, 

Whatever you call them, they are fun, silly, delicious.

These sweet, irresistible bite size treats are so easy to make.

I used frozen, dollar sized pancakes

(mine are from Trader Joe's) 

and made a hole in the center with a small circular fondant cutter.

I zapped them in the microwave for just a few seconds, 

then spread with vanilla frosting...

topped with sprinkles...

and they're ready!

A happier day is just sprinkles away...

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Red Velvet Peppermint Pattie Donuts

Donuts are always a good idea.

Baking donuts during the holidays is the best idea!

I've paired jolly Betty Crocker™ red velvet cake and fluffy cream cheese frosting
with York Peppermint Patties for the ultimate holiday donut delight.

I love holiday baking but for me it has to be easy.

With one quick stop at my local Safeway and I had everything I needed.

There is nothing like bright red batter to get me feeling merry and bright.

It is mixed together in minutes and poured into a donut pan...

Just about 12 minutes in the oven are all they need...

then cooled on a rack...

lathered in luscious cream cheese frosting...

and topped with chocolatey, minty morsels...

Do, Do, Do-nut
Merry Christmas!

Red Velvet Peppermint Pattie Donuts

makes approximately 36 donuts

1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist Red Velvet Cake Mix

1 container Betty Crocker Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

3 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 water

Chopped York Peppermint Patties (they are easier to cut when chilled or frozen)

Donut Pan sprayed with non stick spray

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. With an electric mixer, combine cake mix, eggs, oil and water until well combined. Pour batter into donut pan, only filling each half full and bake for approximately 12 minutes.  Let cool for a few minutes in the pan, then remove and place on wire rack.  Gently frost each donut with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting and top with chopped peppermint patties.

The ease and love are baked right in when you use
Betty Crocker™ and Hershey’s® for your holiday recipes.
They have created 4 new recipes that are exclusive for Safeway stores and can be found on Safeway.com.
With recipes like Candy Kissed Snowman Cookies,  Pumpkin Chocolate Caramel Cookies and Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies it is going to be one sweet holiday!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Betty Crocker™ and Hershey’s® . The opinions and text are all mine.

4th of July Breakfast

Looking for a fun way to kick off the 4th of July?

Get the day started with fun

Flag Holes...
I made them last year and the requests for an encore are already rolling in!

No one can resist donut holes…

why not make "Flag Holes"?

You just need powdered donut holes and colored sugar 

(both available at your grocery store)

Heat the donut holes for about 10 seconds in the microwave

(I did them 2 at a time)

then dunk in colored sugar.

swirl around until coated...

and remove with a skewer...

line them up...

and keep 

an Eye on the Grand Old Flag,

because they will be gone in seconds!

Happy 4th of July

Lemon Glazed Donuts

Why is it that everyone always congregates in the kitchen?

Maybe it's because a fresh batch of Lemon Glazed Donuts 

just came out of the oven!

These citrusy, sweet bites of goodness are ready in minutes...

and seem to be gone before the glaze sets...

Lemon Glazed Donuts

Makes about 3 dozen donuts

Special Tool: non-stick Donut Pan

Lemon Donut ingredients:

(you can easily used a packaged Lemon Cake Mix also)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat Donut Pan with non-stick spray

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbs lemon zest

2 tbs + 2 tsp lemon juice

1 1/4 cups whole milk

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

Lemon Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

mix or whisk ingredients then drizzle over warm donuts below

Lemon Zest for topping

For Donuts:

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In large bowl, beat eggs and sugar then mix in vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest.  Slowly pour in dry ingredients and mix on low until combined.

In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter until butter is just melted, being careful not to let milk boil. Then mix into batter.  Pour into prepared Donut Pan.  You want to only fill the donut molds about half  way.  Cook approximately 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove from oven and after a few minutes gently lift donuts out of pan and place on rack.  Drizzle glaze over while still warm then top with lemon zest.

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