IHOP® Restaurants Introduces new sweet cream topped Belgian waffles for a limited time

WAFFLE LOVERS:  YOUR WORLD IS ABOUT TO GET A WHOLE LOT SWEETER! IHOP INTRODUCES NEW DELICIOUS SWEET CREAM TOPPED BELGIAN WAFFLES IN THREE VARIETIES: BERRIES & CREAM, CHERRIES & CREAM AND BANANAS & CREAM

The Latest Innovative Breakfast Treat Available for a Limited Time Only, Beginning July 22nd IHOP® Restaurants are giving waffles lovers—and all breakfast lovers—a reason to rejoice by introducing a new, scrumptiously sweet and creamy variation on the classic waffle:  the Sweet Cream Topped Waffle.

This new twist on one of IHOP Restaurant’s most popular breakfast items offers guests a delicious IHOP Belgian waffle, made to order to be crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside and topped with a slightly cooled silky vanilla cream and fruit.

“Waffles have always been an important part of the IHOP heritage and as we’ve done with our Brioche French Toast and Signature Pancakes this year, we’ve found a way to bring this beloved favorite to a completely different level,” said Natalia Franco, Senior Vice President, Marketing, International House of Pancakes, LLC. “We’ve given our guests three new tasty ways to indulge their craving for something sweet. The combination of our warm, crisp, thick waffle, our velvety cream and any one of our fruit toppings is a taste sensation you’ll have to try to believe! ”

IHOP Sweet Cream Waffles are available in three varieties:

·         New! Berries & Cream Belgian Waffle – A traditional thick and crispy Belgian waffle topped with vanilla cream, whole blueberries, sliced glazed strawberries and finished with powdered sugar.

·         New! Cherries & Cream Belgian Waffle - A traditional thick and crispy Belgian waffle topped with vanilla cream, sweet black cherries, drizzled with dark chocolate sauce and finished with powdered sugar.

·         New! Bananas & Cream Belgian Waffle - A traditional thick and crispy Belgian waffle topped with vanilla cream, sliced bananas, honey-roasted pecans and finished with powdered sugar.

IHOP’s Sweet Cream Topped Waffles will be available in restaurants for a limited time beginning July 22 through September 8, 2013. They can be ordered as a separate menu item, or as a half waffle with one of IHOP’s famous 2 egg any style made to order combo breakfasts, all served with hash browns:

·         Ultimate Bacon & Sausage Combo

·         Ham & Eggs Combo

·         Bacon & Eggs Combo

·         Sausage & Eggs Combo.

·         Regular Combo

·         Egg Combo.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES, LLC
For 55 years, International House of Pancakes, LLC has been a leader and expert in all things breakfast and a leader in family dining. The chain is highly competitive in its menu offering, serving 65 different signature, made-to-order breakfast options as well as a range of meals under 600 calories.  Beyond offering “everything you love about breakfast, SM” IHOP® restaurants have a wide selection of popular lunch and dinner items, as well. IHOP restaurants offer guests an affordable, everyday dining experience with warm and friendly service. As of March 31, 2013, there were 1,589 IHOP restaurants in 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as in Canada, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Under the licensed name IHOP at HOME® consumers can also enjoy a line of premium breakfast products available at leading retailers. IHOP restaurants are franchised and operated by Glendale, Calif.-based International House of Pancakes, LLC and its affiliates. International House of Pancakes, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of DineEquity, Inc. (NYSE: DIN). For more information or to find an IHOP restaurant near you, please visit www.IHOP.com. Follow IHOP on Facebook and Twitter.

My latest food obsession, Yum Yum sauce

It is not unusual for me to get on these crazy food kicks where I find something I like and end up eating it like it's going to no longer be available. My husband would love to tell those stories! My recent foodie find is Yum Yum sauce. I have had it several times at my favorite Asian eatery and I can't get enough of it. I found it in Kroger by accident the other day and although it was a bit pricey ($4.29) I just had to have it. It came in regular and spicy. I wanted spicy, but figured I would see if the rest of the family would like it too.

You can put it on all kinds of food--- steak, chicken, seafood, veggies, salads and pretty much anything you like. I tried some out in a wrap today and it was pure perfection!

For those of you wondering what it tastes like, it is almost like a kicked up mayo with a saucy, dressingy type of consistency and a tangy sweet taste. I will be getting the spicy next time. Even the husband called me up from work and told me that the Yum Yum sauce "set off" his wrap I sent him for lunch.

Have you tried Yum Yum sauce before?

Carmex Healing Cream & Lotion Review {Giveaway}

Although spring is just about here, winter is still hanging around in many parts of the country. I know that our skin will go through an adjustment phase as the seasons change. Carmex skincare products can help with that. Besides the usual Carmex lip care items, they also offer a Healing Cream and Healing Lotion.

I have used both of them in the past and love them! They lotion is light and great for everyday use while the cream is best to use for those extra dry areas. Both of them have that signature Carmex scent and it almost smells a bit like playdough. They are loaded with vitamin E and ultra-concentrated aloe vera to sooth and hydrate skin and never leaves a greasy or heavy feel. I like how thick they are and it works great on even the most sensitive skin. My oldest daughter has a hard time using a lot of lotions, but Carmex Healing Lotion works well for her.

Besides receiving the lotion and cream to test out, Carmex sent me a fun branded hoodie which is perfect for my morning drive to drop the girls off to school!

You can find Carmex lotion and cream at most Walgreens and Walmart stores, as well as many others. Stay connected to Carmex on the web, Facebook and Twitter.

My friends from Carmex are supplying a set of the Healing Lotion and Cream for one lucky Momfiles reader to win! Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end March 29, 2013. Three winners will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

I am a member of the Carmex Blog Squad and received product samples for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Decadent Glazed Meyer Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

I had a sudden craving last week for a lemony treat. I thought about cookies, cupcakes, drinks and ended up deciding on pound cake. I searched recipes online and came across one by Martha Stewart. I used her recipe as a guide, but I tweaked it a bit. Instead of using standard lemons, I used organic Meyer lemons. I also used whole buttermilk instead of low-fat. I can't make a cake without pure vanilla extract, so I added some to mine. She used unsalted butter, I used salted. I also added some extra zest and vanilla extract to the glaze. The end result was moist, rich, melt-in-your-mouth, lemony goodness. The whole family loved it and I plan to make it again in the near future. I might make them as end-of-the-year gifts for the girls' teachers.

I shared the photos of my yummy cakes on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and received a lot of requests to share the recipe. Check it out below:

What you need:


1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened, plus more for pan
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
3/4 cup whole buttermilk
Zest of 3 Meyer lemons
1/3 cup fresh, organic Meyer lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs

For the Lemon Glaze you will need:
2 cups of powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
4-5 tablespoons of Meyer lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest


How to make it: 


Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lower position. Butter and flour two standard size loaf pans or one tube pan.

Zest your lemons before you juice them. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk with Meyer lemon zest and juice. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three parts alternately with the buttermilk mixture in two, beginning and ending with flour; beat just until smooth (do not over mix). The batter will be very fluffy and thick.

Divide batter evenly between pans and smooth tops. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool 15 minutes in pan. Turn out cakes onto a rack; cool completely before glazing.

While cakes are cooling, mix all of the glaze ingredients together. You can start with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and add more as needed. You don't want your glaze super thin, just runny enough to *glaze* the cakes.
Set rack with cakes over a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Pour glaze over cakes, letting it run down the sides; let dry, about 30 minutes.

The glaze hardens up and the added zest gives it a stronger lemon flavor. I promise you that both loaves won't last long! Let me know if you try this recipe.

Easy mid-week meal | Sausage Gumbo Recipe

As a busy mom, I do what I can to take the occasional shortcut at mealtime to help give myself a break. I cook dinner 5-6 times a week and sometimes I want to go with something quick. One of my go-to meals is a simple Sausage Gumbo. I have made traditional gumbo before and it took 2 hours! With this recipe, you don't need a lot of ingredients and the entire meal takes under 30 minutes to cook from start to finish.

All you need is:
1 package sausage of your choice
1& 1/2 cans of stewed tomatoes
1/2 bag of frozen sweet corn
1 bag of frozen cut okra
1/2 bag of frozen onion and pepper blend or you can use fresh if you want (frozen cuts out chopping time)
Ketchup
Sugar (optional)
Sriracha (optional)
Dried seasonings of your choice. I use my usual ones.
Rice of your choice (I use Jasmine)

I start off by putting my rice on to cook. Usually by the time it is done, the rest of the meal will be close to being finished. Next, I slice the sausage in circles and toss them in a heated pan with just a touch of oil. Brown the sausage to your liking and add in stewed tomatoes, okra, corn, onion and pepper mix and about 1/4 cup of ketchup. I add some dried seasonings at this point but avoid too much salt. I add a pinch or two of sugar and a few squirts of sriracha to balance it out. Now add some water. The amount will depend on how soupy you want your sauce. Usually around 3/4 cup works. Now you just simmer on medium heat until the okra gets tender. Taste for any additional seasonings and you are done! You can even add shrimp or chicken if you want to.

I like to bake some corn muffins sometimes and eat the gumbo as a soup without the rice. It's light yet filling and the family loves it.

Can you make a full meal in just 20 minutes? YES, you can!

Do you ever feel like you want to give your family a good home-cooked meal but time is not your friend? Although I cook at least 6 times a week, there are days I am scrambling around trying to figure out what I can cook in a short amount of time. I then remember my go-to, quick fix meal... stewed salmon, green beans and rice. In the time it takes your rice to cook you can have the entire meal cooked and ready to serve.

All you need to make this meal is a can of salmon, a can of stewed tomatoes (or you can use fresh), some sliced onion, garlic and herbs of your choice, a few squeezes of fresh lemon or lime juice, frozen or fresh green beans and any rice you like. All I do is put my rice on to cook first. I then slice up my onion, garlic and herbs and throw them in my pan with a little bit of oil. I then put my can of tomatoes in and a few squeezes of ketchup, lemon juice and some dry seasonings.  While that is cooking a bit, I put my green beans on. In goes my salmon into the tomatoes and I simmer it for a bit and add extra seasonings if needed. By the time the timer for the rice goes off, the entire meal is done. This meal costs me about $8 and my family loves it.

Do you have a favorite go-to meal that is quick and easy?

Classic Cheesecake Recipe and Food Lion's Holiday Bake-Off Recipe Contest

It's my favorite time of year. The holiday baking season is here! Every year I bake my favorite cheesecake that the family loves. I found this recipe online many years ago and I promise, it is fool-proof. I have shared this recipe with a lot of family members and friends and they all love it and found that it was very easy to make. The thing I love about this recipe is you can totally make it your own. You could add cocoa powder to part of the cheesecake batter to swirl it in and make it fancy. Instead of vanilla extract you could use almond or lemon. You can serve it with fruit or plain (just the way I like it!).

Classic Cheesecake
Ingredients
2 packages (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened*
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 Keebler® Ready Crust® Graham 2 Extra Servings Pie Crust (you can use a store brand or make your own)
1 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
1. In large mixing bowl beat cream cheese on medium speed of electric mixer until fluffy. Add 2/3 cup sugar, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition. 2. Place crust on baking sheet. Spread cream cheese mixture in crust. Bake on baking sheet at 350°F about 30 minutes or until center is almost set. 3. In small bowl combine sour cream, 3 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Carefully spread over cheesecake. Bake at 350°F for 5 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. 4. Garnish as desired. Store in refrigerator. *NOTE: Soften cream cheese in microwave at high for 15 to 20 seconds.

Right now, Food Lion is hosting a Holiday Bake-Off recipe contest on their Facebook page. You can enter the contest by sharing a recipe in any of the four categories: appetizer, entree  side dish or dessert. 12 grand prize winners will receive a $500 Food Lion gift card. The Food Lion Bake-Off contest kicks off 11/7 and will end 11/28. Hurry up and enter! You never know, your recipe can be a $500 winner!

What is your favorite recipe that you make for Thanksgiving?

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Food Lion. I received a promotional item to facilitate my shopping experience and review.

Kraft Foods Delicious Desserts Pin & Win Sweepstakes #kraftrecipes

Attention all Pinterest and dessert fans:  I wanted to let you all know about the Kraft Foods Delicious Desserts Pin & Win Sweepstakes. There is a total of $2,500 in cash prizes up for grabs. Can you imagine winning a cash prize for pinning desserts? Um, I'm entering myself! The good thing is that you can get some great recipe ideas for the holiday season.

HERE'S HOW TO ENTER SWEEPSTAKES:

1. Go to pinterest.com/kraftrecipes and follow us.
2. In your Pinterest profile, create a new board called Kraft Delicious Desserts Recipes Pin and Win. The board name must include Kraft Dessert Recipes and be categorized under Food & Drink
3. Pin 10 or more of your favorite dessert recipes, from dessert.com OR kraftrecipes.com. Include #kraftrecipes in the description of each pin.
4. Email the URL link of your Kraft Delicious Dessert Recipes Pin and Win board to kraftrecipes-pinterest@kraftapps.com for a chance to win one of ten $200 VISA gift card first prizes OR the grand prize of a $500 VISA gift card.

What dessert would you bring to your holiday festivities? Get Pinning and let us know! All entries must be received between 11/1/12 and 11/21/12. NO Purchase Necessary. Open only to residents of the 50 United States and D.C., 18 years of age and older. Ends: 11/21/12. For complete details, see the Official Rules here.

I made up my own Pinterest board of desserts and here are a couple that I WILL be making this month:

Lemon-Blueberry Swirl Cake (I want this NOW!)

And White Chocolate Cheesecake (**drool**)

I can't wait to try out these recipes and encourage you to enter the sweepstakes yourself! Good luck! :)

Perfect Roasted Potatoes

I discovered these wonderful potatoes that Publix carries called Potato Inspirations. I decided to try them out since they were on sale. They came in a few different varieties, but I decided to go with the Honey Gold. They are smaller than a golf balls. I remembered a recipe I saw Michael Symon make and thought I would try to replicate it. The only difference is he fried his potatoes in bacon fat instead of baking them. Yeah, I didn't have a half gallon of bacon fat laying around so I had to improvise!

Ingredients:
1 bag of Honey Gold Potato Inspiration potatoes or 2 pounds of very small potatoes of your choice.
a few tablespoons of olive oil
dry seasonings of your choice. I used sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley, Cajun seasoning and Badia Complete Seasoning which are my staples.

All you do is rinse and boil your potatoes (whole) in salted water until they are starting to get soft, but not cooked all the way, about 9-13 minutes. Drain potatoes and smash each one with just a little bit with the bottom of a cup or small plate. Toss smashed potatoes in olive oil and dry seasoning and roast in a 425 degree preheated oven for about 25 minutes. They come out slightly crisp on the outside and super buttery and creamy on the inside. I baked mine on the Silpat mat so they did not stick or brown unevenly.

What a wonderful side dish this is! I am going to try it next time using two different types of potatoes. I might make them for Thanksgiving too. They are so easy and delicious!

This was NOT a sponsored post :)

The latest from my kitchen

Lately I have been battling the dinner cooking blues. As usual, I feel like I have run out of ideas. I have been following a couple bloggers that have been meal-planning in advance and I decided to give it a try. For me, I can only do one week at a time (maybe even 4 days). I am a 2-3 times a week grocery shopper because I like everything to be as fresh as possible. I won't say that I have been overly successful in the meal-planning department. I feel like I can't stay on track because my taste or mood might change according to my schedule. One great thing is I have been cooking a lot of meatless meals. I am a HUGE veggie lover. I don't think there are too many vegetables I don't love.  In recent weeks I decided to cook meals without meat and without alerting the family ahead of time. To my surprise they all (even the hubby) love NOT eating any meat. Whaaaattt???!!!! We have all decided that we will have 3-4 meatless meals each week. Today I threw together a fabulous veggie stir-fry served with Jasmine rice and kimchi.

It was so delicious and even the kids agreed that adding any meat, chicken or even shellfish would have spoiled it. I love Asian cuisine so I am really happy that the family loved it as much as they did. 

Last weekend I made a Caribbean style fish dish (Escovitch) that got rave reviews from the family. This dish starts off with seasoned and fried fish that is then topped with a vinegar and citrus based sauce that also contains onions, fresh tomatoes, scallions and hot pepper. This dish can be served with boiled plantains & cassava or just plain rice or grits. 

I am just so happy that my family is all on board with having more meatless meals. I think it will make menu planning a little bit easier and maybe I will actually stick to it! 

What are your favorite meatless meals? Do you meal plan? 

Honey Soy Plum Chicken

I recently purchased a Kindle version of The Pioneer Woman's cookbook. I have tried a couple of her dessert recipes before and loved them. I found a recipe for Honey Soy Plum Chicken and it sounded amazing. I admit that when I read the quantity of some of the ingredients I was a bit stunned. I did choose to modify some things and wanted to share my version as well as the original, of The Pioneer Woman's recipe.

Ingredients:

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
3 cups red wine
3 bay leaves
1 13 oz. jar plum preserves (I used a apricot instead)
1 cup honey (I used 3/4 cup)
1 20 oz. bottle low sodium soy sauce (I used 10 oz and still think it was too much)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 plums, pitted and chopped, plus 1 plum, pitted and thinly sliced (Will use half the plums next time)
12 ounces egg noodles
3 green onions, sliced

Instructions:

~Put the chicken thighs in a large bowl. Pour in 2 cups of the red wine. Add the bay leaves, toss to coat, and marinate for 1 hour in the fridge. (Next time I plan to add some slices of fresh ginger for more Asian flair)
~In a separate bowl, add the plum preserves, honey and soy sauce, whisk to combine and set aside.
~Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the wine, then brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. (I recommend draining excess oil from pan after browning) 
~Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add the garlic. Stir it around in the bottom of the pan for a couple of minutes to release the flavor.
~Add the remaining cup of wine (I will use a half cup next time), chopped plums and honey plum soy mixture. (I added a few shakes of red pepper flakes for some heat)
~Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the chicken is falling off the bone. (I skimmed some of the excess fat off the top)
~Serve chicken and sauce over cooked noodles and sprinkle with green onions. (I plan to try it with Jasmine rice next time)

The dish was delicious and I do plan to make it again with the modifications that I noted. My husband also recommended that this meal should be cooked when nobody is home. He said he and the kids were circling around the kitchen like vultures because of the tantalizing aroma! It took a long time to get it all done. I will say that this was a very impressive, rich and fancy dish. If you like sweet and salty with an Asian twist, this is for you! Let me know if you try it out.

IHOP Simple & Fit Menu #breakfastlove {$50 GC Giveaway} CLOSED

**Contest closed** The winner is kionna. Congratulations!

My family recently visited our local IHOP restaurant to check out the newest offerings on the SIMPLE & FIT menu. They have expanded their under-600-calorie SIMPLE & FIT menu to include some wholesome items like whole wheat pancakes, waffles and crepes. Mmm, my family loves all things pancakes, waffles and crepes! 

The new offerings will include: 

Super Fruit Oatmeal – A bowl of freshly-made toasted Quaker Oats, lightly sweetened with cinnamon sugar, and topped with a blend of five dried super fruits, including blueberries, dark cherries, cranberries, raisins and golden raisins. (290 Calories) 
 Super Fruit Oatmeal with Almonds and Walnuts – A bowl of freshly-made toasted Quaker Oats, lightly sweetened with cinnamon sugar, and topped with almonds, walnuts and a blend of five dried super fruits, including blueberries, dark cherries, cranberries, raisins and golden raisins. (330 calories) 
 Banana and Brown Sugar Oatmeal– A bowl of freshly made toasted Quaker Oats topped with fresh banana slices and served with brown sugar and milk. (260 calories) 
 Whole Wheat Pancakes Combo – Two Whole Wheat Pancakes topped with lightly sweetened blueberries and powdered sugar served with egg substitute and two strips of turkey bacon (460 calories) 
 Kid’s Whole Wheat Pancake Combo – One Whole Wheat Pancake topped with lightly sweetened blueberries and powdered sugar served with egg substitute and one strip of turkey bacon (230 calories) 
 Whole Wheat Waffle Combo – A Whole Wheat Waffle topped with lightly sweetened blueberries and powdered sugar served with egg substitute and two strips of turkey bacon (510 calories) 
 Whole Wheat Crepes – Two Whole Wheat Crepes filled with sweet cream cheese and topped with lightly sweetened blueberries and powdered sugar (380 calories) Whole Wheat Crepes with Blueberries are also offered as a combination (800 calories).

We tried out the Whole Wheat Pancake combo, Whole Wheat French Toast combo, Banana and Brown Sugar Oatmeal and the Spinach & Mushroom omelet.  Everything was delicious and very satisfying! The whole wheat pancakes were so fluffy and hearty and were just as amazing as the original variety. My son really enjoyed the banana and brown sugar oatmeal. His bowl was left spotless! We were very please with the lower calorie options and did not feel robbed of quality, taste or portion size. We will be making another trip soon to try some of the other items. I have crepes on the brain!

Wouldn't you just love to try out some of the new SIMPLE & FIT menu items? One lucky Momfiles reader will win a $50 IHOP gift card. It is so easy to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Contest is open to US Residents only and will end on Sept, 18, 2012. One winner will be selected at random and will be contacted via email to claim prize. Be sure to follow contest rules accordingly. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

I received IHOP gift cards to facilitate my review. All thoughts/opinions are 100% my own as always.

Our Great Wolf Lodge Experience

We had the great pleasure of experiencing Great Wolf Lodge (Concord, NC) to end our summer off with a splash! Unfortunately, the weather was not the best but it did not stop our adventure. Lucky for us, Great Wolf Lodge has an amazing indoor water park that is kept at a comfortable 84 degrees. Before I go into that, I will start by telling you our first impression when we drove up to the resort.

The entire family fell in love with the beautiful grounds and the enormity of the resort. The gorgeous wolf statues were huge! We were promptly greeted by a gentleman at the front entrance and directed to our parking spot. Then we entered through the front doors and immediately started oohing and ahhing. It was so beautiful inside, almost overwhelming at that! Our experience at the check-in desk was fast and the clerk was extremely professional and helpful. We felt as if we were the only guests on the property with the type of customer service we received. Truly first class!

Once we got our wristbands and room information, we headed up to our Family Suite. What a lovely suite it was! I can't begin to tell you all how clean and pretty the room was. There were so many wonderful details including the signature wolf towel on one of the beds, rustic decor, an in-suite safe, microwave/fridge/iron & ironing board, balcony with table and chairs and one of my favorites... the signature paw print embossed toilet paper. You can absolutely tell how much the resort management and staff care about their guests by how immaculate the property is inside and out. We had an abundance of towels, blankets and extra pillows. The beds were so comfortable and we slept soundly. We were amazed at how quiet it was in our suite since the resort was super busy and packed with so many families. Another great plus is how environmentally friendly the whole facility is by having recycling bins in each suite as well as all over the resort. Even the hair dryer in the room had green standards!

The hubby loved the balcony and enjoyed catching up on some reading and of course, sipping on his Dunkin Donuts coffee. The resort had so many food options to satisfy every family member. Believe me, we tried almost every spot! We had everything from pizza, ice cream, doughnuts, salads and so much more. I think our favorite place was the sweets and bake shop. Hey, we were on vacation!

Although this is not my photograph, I wanted to show you what the indoor water park was like. Truly amazing and everyone had a blast! There was something for every age. The water slides were incredible and the outdoor pool area was very nice and lots of fun! It was almost impossible to get the kids out of the water. Something I noticed was that EVERY lifeguard on duty was very focused and constantly looking around to make sure all the guests were safe. That truly made us feel at ease, especially with a 4 year old that can't swim yet.

The other big highlight of our visit was the Northern Lights Arcade. We ALL had so much fun and I can't remember the last time I laughed that much, non-stop! There were so many other activities but we did not have the time to do everything. We are planning to visit again when it is during the off-season.

Little William loved the story-time at night at the big Clocktower. He was completely mesmerized. He still continues to howl "Great Wolf style", as he likes to put it.

It was hard to get really clear photos with all the crowds and chaos going on but overall, we had the most wonderful experience at Great Wolf Lodge. I truly could go on for hours telling you even more but you need to go check it out for yourself. You and your family would NOT be disappointed! This was the most fun family getaway we have ever been on and we can't wait to do it again!

We want to give a big thank you to the entire Great Wolf Lodge staff for making us feel so welcome and comfortable. There was never a moment that we did not hear "We hope you enjoy your stay". That we did!

Stay connected with Great Wolf Lodge via the web, Facebook and Twitter for discounts and deals. 

I received a discounted rate from Great Wolf Lodge and all thoughts/opinions are 100% my own.

Guyanese "Cook-up" Rice Recipe

Today I am sharing a recipe with you all that is a very common Guyanese main/side dish called "cook-up" rice. I think it is one of those meals that you almost always have the ingredients on hand to make and it is very versatile. In all the different West Indian countries this dish is called by different names like rice & peas, peas & rice or pilau. I have always known it to be called cook-up rice and it can be made with any type of rice or beans/legumes. Typically you would use pigeon peas, black eyed peas or red beans.

One of the main ingredients that makes this rice dish so special is the use of coconut milk, herbs and spices. Everyone makes their own version and today I will share mine. Please be aware that my recipes are seldom done in precise measurements so I did my best to estimate to make it easier for you.

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 tbs butter
-1 small onion chopped
-2 cloves garlic minced
-herbs~ You must use dried thyme but can also add anything else you like, both fresh or dried. I also used fresh thyme and cilantro
-hot pepper (optional) You can use scotch bonnet, habanero or wiri wiri pepper but leave it whole.
-1 chicken bullion cube
-1 tsp of Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce (optional)
-Salt, pepper, garlic powder, Creole seasoning and any Spanish style seasoning. I like Badia best
-1 1/2 cups of parboiled rice ( I sometimes use Jasmine)
-1 can of coconut milk
-1 can of your choice of beans rinse and drained (I love red)

Note: you can cook this dish with meat but I prefer it as a side dish.

How to make it:

I melt the butter and saute the onion for a couple minutes. I then add the garlic and hot pepper (leave it whole). Next, I add the can of coconut milk, can of beans, some dried thyme, the bullion cube and the remaining seasoning except the salt. I bring all of that to a boil to dissolve the bullion cube and then add the rice and browning sauce and some water. I then taste for salt and add if needed. At this point (if desired) you can press the whole hot pepper with your cooking spoon to release some heat and flavor. Turn it down to medium/low heat and make sure you have enough water in there for the rice to cook properly. It can take about 20-30 minutes cooking time. Once all the liquid is absorbed, I add some fresh chopped cilantro and toss it around. That's it!

I served it with some wonderful broiled salmon and it was a big hit with the family. You can also serve it with chicken, steak or pork chops. If you want to keep it meat free then you can add salad or roasted veggies on the side. The only thing this meal was missing was some fried plantains. I couldn't find any ripe ones in the store.

I hope you find this recipe simple enough to try it for yourself. If you do try it, please let me know how it turned out! Enjoy :)