Wendy's Chicken Flatbread Sandwiches #6SecondsFlat Sweepstakes #sp

Thanks to Wendy's for sponsoring this post and for the opportunity to try Wendy's Chicken Flatbread Sandwich. 

Wendy’s Flatbread Chicken Sandwiches are back for a limited time. Try both flavors, Asiago Ranch (it has bacon on it) and Smoky Honey Mustard (only 370 calories). I tried the Asiago Ranch and loved it so much! Right now 6 seconds could win you $6,000 in Wendy’s #6SecondsFlat Sweepstakes.

Tell Wendy’s what you think about their flatbreads in a Vine or Instagram video then send it @Wendys (through twitter, Instagram or Vine) with the #6SecondsFlat tag and the my custom hashtag @momfiles6. Each week of September, one lucky winner will be randomly selected to receive a $6000 prize.

Visit the sweepstakes landing page for more information and view the “official rules” at the bottom of the page. Below is an example of a video I made. How easy is that?



Wendy’s is handpicking the best video entries to re-post from their official Wendy’s social media accounts to be featured on the contest website.

Be sure to check out the sample videos on the 6 Seconds Flat landing page by clicking on any of the video squares. Don't forget to include my custom hashtag as well @momfiles6.

Easy Recipe: Sweet & Spicy Cabbage with Pork

I was chatting with my friend Krystel from Army Wife 101 yesterday and was looking for some dinner suggestions. She talked about a cabbage and ground pork dish she made before and I came up with my version of it. I posted a photo of it on Instagram and received several messages and texts to share the recipe. Here it is:

Ingredients:
1 pound of ground pork (you can also use ground chicken, turkey or beef)
1 head of cabbage chopped
1 small chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of minced fresh ginger
2 scallions sliced thinly
your favorite dry seasonings. Here are my favorites.
about 1 teaspoon of 5 spice powder (optional)
1/3 cup of Frank's® RedHot® Sweet Chili sauce

What to do:
Add your ground meat in a hot pan and season to your liking. I use a potato masher to help separate the meat and make it in more uniform crumbles. Cook until brown and add your onion, garlic and ginger. Saute for a few minutes and drain any fat from pan. Now you add your cabbage and cook it down until it gets a bit tender. From there I add any additional seasonings and my Frank's sweet chili sauce. Toss in your scallions, simmer for a few minutes and you are done! Serve with Jasmine or brown rice.

This is a crowd pleaser for sure. I think I will try it next time with kale. This meal takes 30 minutes or less to make, perfect for busy weeknights.  If you try this dish, please let me know how it turned out. Enjoy :)

Tips for buying a home

Everyone dreams of owning their own home, but buying one is a lot of work. Just preparing for homeownership is a massive undertaking that can seem daunting. There are processes that you have to go through before you can even think about looking for the home you want to buy.

Budgeting and banks
First, you have to know exactly what your budget is and how much you can afford to spend. The banks will need this information before they will even think about giving you a mortgage loan, so have it all ready. The difference can sometimes help in negotiations with a seller for a better price on the home. Make sure that you are pre-approved not pre-qualified. Research diligently through different lenders as well. Make sure you get the best possible mortgage and interest rates.

Look into the area
You will have to know what you need as far as size like the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, etc. You will have to take into consideration schools, transportation, and stores as well. If you prefer public transportation, you will have to make sure that you are near to the local pick up. Do you want the local stores to be close at hand? The Local Records Office can give you a lot of information about the neighborhoods you are considering, so make sure to look them up.

Contract a buyer's agent
The housing market changes constantly. Even though we are recovering from the housing crisis from a few years ago, you will want to do plenty of research. You don't have to have a real estate agent and honestly, agents work for the seller not you. However, you can contract a buyer's agent if you wish. A buyer's agent will ensure you find the house you want for a good price and actually works for you.

Look for homes
Look at a lot of homes before you make an offer for one. You want to make sure that you are getting exactly what you want and not just settling for what you think you can afford. After all if you are paying that much money to buy a home, you want to be happy in it. Likewise, don't allow an agent to push you into a house you can't really afford either. Just because you qualify for it, doesn't mean you should buy it. You could overtax yourself and that will lead to trouble later on.

Once you make an offer and it is accepted, there are several steps that have to be taken. A home inspection to check the foundation, construction, heating and cooling system, electrical etc must be done. This is important so that you and your bank know that the home is sound.

You will have to buy homeowners insurance and bring the document with you to your closing along with your down payment and another check for closing costs unless you have negotiated for the seller to pay them, you will be responsible for those.  The closing should take about an hour and when you are finished, you will be the proud owner of a home of your own.

Publix Breakfast Savings going on now! ($25 GC Giveaway) #myblogspark

**CLOSED**

Winner is Crystal- congratulations! 

Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by Publix® through MyBlogSpark.

The Publix Breakfast Savings Event is going on right now! This is a great opportunity to stock up, especially now that school is in session. 

I was lucky to find Quaker Oatmeal on sale buy one, get one free. I bought 8 boxes since my kids eat it daily. There are some coupons available for some breakfast items to save even more. Check them out here. 

There are many items on sale like Aunt Jemima Pancake Syrup, General Mills Cheerios Cereal, Kellogg's Nutri-Grain bars and more! There are so many convenience items that help make school mornings a little easier. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

To help you stock up on some breakfast items, one Mom Files reader will win a $25 Publix gift card. Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is open to US Residents only. Giveaway ends on September 20, 2013 and one winner will be selected at random and contacted via email to claim prize. Be sure to follow contest rules stated in Rafflecopter widget. Mom Files is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

IHOP® restaurants offer Stuffed French Toast in 2 new varieties

IT’S A SWEET START TO SEPTEMBER AS IHOP RESTAURANTS INTRODUCE TWO NEW VARIETIES OF STUFFED FRENCH TOAST, SEPTEMBER 9

New Peach Vanilla and Strawberry Vanilla Toppings Add a Fresh New Twist to this Delicious Classic

GLENDALE, CA. – September 9, 2013 -- IHOP® restaurants, which created a new breakfast classic when it introduced Stuffed French Toast—delicious cinnamon raisin French toast with a sweet cream filling—has found a new way to top it!  Beginning September 9th, guests can enjoy two new varieties of this favorite dish:

·         Peach Vanilla Stuffed French Toast

A warm slice of cinnamon-raisin French toast stuffed with sweet cream filling, dipped in lightly sweetened vanilla batter and grilled until golden brown, then topped with glazed sliced peaches, vanilla cream drizzle, powdered sugar and finished with creamy whipped topping.

·         Strawberry Vanilla Stuffed French Toast

A warm slice of cinnamon-raisin French toast stuffed with sweet cream filling, dipped in lightly sweetened vanilla batter and grilled until golden brown, then topped with glazed whole strawberries, vanilla cream drizzle, powdered sugar and finished with creamy whipped topping.

 They join IHOP’s regular varieties of Stuffed French Toast— glazed strawberries, cinnamon apple and blueberry compote.

“When we introduced our Stuffed French Toast, we instantly created another unique IHOP classic,” said Natalia Franco, Senior Vice President, Marketing, International House of Pancakes, LLC.  “And now, just in time to celebrate the start of the fall season, we’ve come up with two new sweet, rich  variations on this favorite that guests are sure to love.“

The new varieties of Stuffed French Toast can be ordered as a separate menu item, or as part of one of IHOP’s famous 2 eggs 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

And, as a perfect complement to any of these choices, guests will want to try two new flavored coffees:

·         Salted Caramel Iced Coffee –a delicious proprietary recipe that captures the distinctive sweet and salty combination of salted caramel.

·         White Chocolate Flavored Hot Coffee—our famous brewed International Roast coffee flavored with the distinctive sweet taste of white chocolate, topped with whipped cream.

These flavored coffees will be available for a limited time through November 3rd.

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 June 30, 2013, there were 1,593 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.