Okay, let me confess. I am not a world-renowned party planner. While we love having people over, I prefer my parties to be simple and easy to prepare for. And that’s why I love to have Litehouse dressings always on hand. You’ll be amazed at what you can quickly whip up with a few jars of this amazing tasting stuff!

Let’s talk for a minute about why Litehouse dressings should be your go-to dressing! The Hawkins family started selling their homemade dressings out of the family’s restaurant in Hope, Idaho over 50 years ago. In 2006, the family sold the company to its employees. Every person at Litehouse has the same passion and commitment to bring your family the very best products available. The Litehouse Story is inspirational! Ed Hawkins came up with his first dressing, Blue Cheese, when his boss complained about the poor quality of the dressing that they were using. Ed prayed about it, and came up with the great blue cheese dressing that Litehouse brings you today. You can read more of their story here.

Litehouse brings you the finest quality foods at the best value. Every recipe is specially created to help deliver world-class flavor to your dinner table. And because of the quality and freshness of their ingredients, you can rest assured knowing that you’re giving your family the very best.

And let’s talk about something else for a minute: if you were to whip up fresh, creamy salad dressings at home, where would you reach for the cheese or sour cream, etc.? In your pantry? I hope not! You’d probably go straight to the fridge. Most of us grew up reaching for that bottle of room temperature dressing in the condiment aisle. We probably didn’t give much thought to the preservatives in those bottles that kept them on the shelf for so long. There is a better, more delicious way to dress your veggies: with fresh tasting, refrigerated Litehouse dressing. Because real food deserves real dressing. Your family will be asking for seconds and your kids will be eating their veggies in record amounts. Cold is where it’s sold!

Why put a room temperature dressing on your delicious, crisp fresh salad? The salad is cold, so why is your salad dressing warm? For dressings as real as the salad you are putting them on – think cold, that’s where it’s sold. Make sure to look in the refrigerated section of your local supermarket for Litehouse Homestyle Ranch and Chunky Bleu Cheese dressings. Litehouse Inc. is a leader in refrigerated salad dressings, veggie dips, sauces and Instantly Fresh™ Herbs.

Along with Litehouse dressings, I always have crackers and fresh veggies on hand, so whipping up these dips was a breeze.

Let’s start off with the easiest one, the “white”. Litehouse Homestyle Ranch. Pour it in a bowl. Done.

Red Sweet Potato Ranch and Bean Dip

Ingredients

1 small to medium cooked sweet potato (peeled)
1 can (approx. 15 oz) pinto beans – I used Bush’s Cocina Latina Pintos a la Diabla for a little kick
1 cup of Litehouse Homestyle Ranch dressing

Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor until thoroughly mixed. Serve with crackers, pita chips, fresh veggies, etc.

Easy sweet potatoes: I buy these bags of sweet potatoes at Publix all the time. We eat them with almost every meal since we’re cutting down on white carbs. There are five or six sweet potatoes in the bag, and you toss the whole bag in the microwave for 10 minutes to cook them. Couldn’t be easier! And at only about $2.29 a bag, it’s a super cheap, easy and nutritious side dish!

Blueberry Bleu Cheese Dip

Ingredients

1 bar of cream cheese softened to room temperature
1 container of blueberry yogurt
1 Cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I used frozen that I picked earlier in the summer)
¼ cup Litehouse Chunky Bleu Cheese Dressing

Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor until thoroughly mixed. Serve with crackers, pita chips, fresh veggies, etc.

Note: this is NOT a sweet dip, but rather a savory one. If you would like to make it sweet, add ½ cup of sugar with other ingredients, and then use for a fruit dip.

Would you like to win a couple of coupons for FREE Litehouse products? Of course you would. All you have to do is leave me a comment and tell me your favorite way to use Litehouse Ranch or Bleu Cheese dressings. One lucky reader will win! And go!

“This review and giveaway was made possible by iConnect Influencer Management and Litehouse Foods. I was compensated for my participation in this campaign, but all opinions are 100% mine.”

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You have to jump on this fast! The promotion ends at 1pm EST.

You can choose 1 free 1/4 cup jar of spices, 1 free 1/2 cup jar of spices and 1 free 3/4 bag of spices free!!

You do have to pay shipping, or shipping is free if you spend $15 – so still a deal.

Here’s how to enter the codes:

Choose your 1/4 cup jar from this list, then your promotion code is the product number plus the letter c. Choose your 1/2 cup jar from the same list. Choose your 3/4 cup bag from this list.

Then if you spend another $15, it all ships free!

Hurry – ends at 1PM EST!

• This post is sponsored by Pinnacle Foods & Boulder Brands.  All comments and opinions are my own.

Let’s face it, eating a healthy diet is hard. But not nearly as difficult as it was years ago. Now we have all kinds of great options for food choices that not only taste great, but are good for us! You can choose plant-based foods without sacrificing quality, taste or convenience. And for a busy family, that’s what I need!

Today we’re featuring three products that you can feel good about eating without sacrificing taste! We’re going to make a protein-packed superfood bowl that is entirely plant-based. I bought all three of these products at Publix.

We’re starting with Birds Eye® Steamfresh® Barley & Kale Superfood Blends. This is a great base for a lot of different meals or side dishes. You simply microwave it and it’s ready to go.  Birds Eye Steamfresh Superfood Blends are super easy and quick to prepare. They’re made from nutrient-rich vegetables, grains and fruits, so it’s not only easy to enjoy nature’s healthiest ingredients, but delicious! These are made with no artificial flavors or preservatives and they’re an excellent source of antioxidant vitamin A and C.

This blend has broccoli, carrots, brown rice and red beans in a light roasted garlic sauce. The seasoning is absolutely delicious and because it’s high in protein, it keeps you satiated for a long time.

I put a serving of the Birds Eye Steamfresh Superfood Blend in a bowl and added two Gardein™ Seven Grain Crispy Tenders. Now, before you turn your nose up at a plant based crispy tender, let me just tell you…these are superb! If you fed them to your family, they would never know that they’re eating a meatless product.  Gardein Plant-Based Foods are a wholesome range of tasty plant-based foods with a meaty texture. Made from soy, wheat and pea proteins, vegetables and ancient grains (quinoa, amaranth, millet and kamut®). Gardein is easy to digest and free of cholesterol, trans and saturated fats. The majority of Gardein foods are a good source of fiber and low fat too. Gardein is also 100% vegan – meaning it is animal and dairy free.

Because I like the tenders extra crispy, I baked them first, and then I crisped them up in a pan with some Earth Balance® Original Buttery Spread. It melts in the pan just like butter, and made the tenders crispy, crunchy and delicious.

Earth Balance Buttery Spreads is the tub that started it all. This Original Buttery Spread has made its name as the ultimate toast topper and a crucial part of your dairy-free arsenal.  It’s creamy, spreadable texture and rich, buttery taste come complete with our proprietary blend of oils.  It’s vegan, lactose-free, non-dairy, gluten-free, has 0g Trans Fat, no MSG, it’s non-GMO, an excellent source of ALA Omega 3.

For some sweetness I added some Mandarin oranges, and for a little extra crunchy protein, a few almonds.

This was a bowl of protein packed goodness that tasted like a restaurant meal. I’m so excited about all of the different ways that I can work these great products into my diet!

And of course…coupons!!!

From February 17 to March 2, Publix supermarkets are offering up some great coupons for plant-based meal solutions. You’ll find $1 off any 1 Gardein item, $1 off any 1 Earth Balance Buttery Spread, 2 for $5 Birds Eye Protein Blends, and 2 for $6 Birds Eye Superfood Blends. I can tell you I will definitely be stocking up on these!! Just click here for your coupons and grab your savings.

I love chicken and dumplings. It’s definitely a favorite comfort food, but I had never attempted making them. I’m a pretty adventurous cook, but this dish scared me. Not anymore!

Here’s what you need to know about this recipe: it will make a very thick dish. If you enjoy a more ‘soup like’ version, I think you could add more liquid.

Read these tips first:

You will be using canned biscuits – tear them (I used kitchen scissors to cut them) into very small pieces, about 8 pieces per biscuit. Roll them in a bowl of flour to keep them from clumping together. Before putting them into the pot, ‘pinch’ them to flatten each little piece out. Even better idea? Put the flour in a gallon size ziploc bag – when you’re done, just zip and throw it away…

Instead of using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, consider using fresh chicken tenders. They turn out great in the recipe and I have always found them to be a little cheaper. You do not have to cut the chicken – it will fall apart in the crock pot…

On to the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 TBS butter

1 medium onion, chopped

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or about 8 fresh chicken tenders)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

10 canned biscuits – I used Pillsbury Grands Juniors

Whatever spices you have on hand. I used McCormick Gourmet All Natural Thyme. It holds up well in the slow cooker and is fantastic paired with this creamy chicken dish!

Directions:

Put butter, onion, chicken and chicken soup in crock pot and add enough water to cover. If you like more liquid in your dish, add a couple of cans of chicken broth – I did want more liquid, so I added chicken broth and added more when I put in the dumplings (biscuits). You’ll easily be able to see if you would like more liquid. You can even add more liquid to the crockpot after you put the dumplings in if it looks too thick for you.

Cook on high for about 6 hours

30 minutes before serving, add floured biscuit pieces to crock pot and stir them in

Done!

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The holidays will be here soon, and this is a delightful serving plate that you can easily make, take and leave at a party! Guests will ooh and aah over your handiwork, and it’s soooo easy! Plus there’s no messy dish to clean up after you take it to a party – and you don’t have to worry about getting it back!

You’ll need:
mints or hard candy
a cookie sheet
parchment or wax paper (you could use either but parchment works better)

How To:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place parchment or wax paper on cookie sheet
3. Arrange mints in any design you wish on top of wax paper or parchment paper on a cookie sheet {allowing extra room on the sides}
4. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes
5. Take out and allow to cool on cookie sheet {cools in approximately 5 minutes}
6. Remove wax paper from bottom {be careful, tray is fragile and breaks easily}

And there you have it…a beautiful serving dish!

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Wow! What a great deal! Get this set of 12 silicone muffin/cupcake cups for only $3.09 with FREE shipping (no Amazon Prime necessary!).

These would also make great treat cups at a party!

Hurry over to Amazon for yours. Click here.

Sometimes as bloggers, we have really cool opportunities to interact with some of the brands that we love. A few nights ago, the great folks of Litehouse® Inc invited several bloggers to a dinner where we could discuss their brand, see some great recipe demos and have a great conversation with Jenna Braddock, a registered dietician, and publisher of the Make Healthy Easy blog (go visit!).

Let’s talk for a minute about why Litehouse dressings should be your go-to dressing! The Hawkins family started selling their homemade dressings out of the family’s restaurant in Hope, Idaho over 50 years ago. In 2006, the family sold the company to its employees. Every person at Litehouse has the same passion and commitment to bring your family the very best products available. The Litehouse Story is inspirational! Ed Hawkins came up with his first dressing, Blue Cheese, when his boss complained about the poor quality of the dressing that they were using. Ed prayed about it, and came up with the great blue cheese dressing that Litehouse brings you today. You can read more of their story here.

Litehouse brings you the finest quality foods at the best value. Every recipe is specially created to help deliver world-class flavor to your dinner table. And because of the quality and freshness of their ingredients, you can rest assured knowing that you’re giving your family the very best.

Look at all of that deliciousness!!!

After we all got settled, Jenna proceeded to show us a super simple (and super yummy) 3-ingredient dip that even the kids will love! And we’re going to share it with you.

Ingredients:

16-ounce can of white beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups of roasted carrots (about 4)*
1/2 Litehouse Homestyle Ranch Dressing

*To roast carrots, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place sliced carrots on baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil. Toss to coat. Arrange carrots in single layer and roast for 20 minutes. Let cool 3-5 minutes.

For the dip, add all ingredients to a powerful blender or food processor. Blend or pulse until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Serve with fresh cut veggies, pita or crackers. The best thing is that the kids are getting veggies without even realizing it! You could also try green peas…or whatever you like!

During a wonderful dinner, we discussed various ways to eat more healthfully, including tips and tricks from Jenna and fellow bloggers, and even discussed some of the challenges we face, from hunger, to being busy, to picky kids.

The evening was a great success, and I am more convinced than ever that Litehouse is THE brand that our household will use!

And of course we have a coupon for you! Just click ‘clip offer’ below and grab your savings! Don’t forget, you’ll find Litehouse in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. I mean, it’s fresh! To find Litehouse products near you, click here.

Check out Litehouse on Facebook

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Connect with Litehouse on Instagram

This is a super easy chicken pot pie recipe that your family will love!

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken (I boil it, but you can bake, saute or grill)
1 16 ounce package frozen vegetables
2 cans of cream of chicken soup

CRUST

1 cup self rising flour
1 stick butter
1 cup milk

Cook frozen vegetables for 10 minutes in boiling water until tender. (I usually use the same water that I boiled the chicken in, for extra flavor)
Put chicken, vegetables and soup into casserole or baking dish and mix well
Mix flour, butter and milk together well
Pour flour mixture over top of chicken mixture
Bake at 350 degrees for about 55 minutes, until crust is golden brown
ENJOY!

We have all kinds of awesome recipes for the rest of your summer!!! Get them here free!