Tobins' Tastes: February 2017

Monday, February 20, 2017

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Apple Eggo Wafflers

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EggoMyWay #CollectiveBias


I can safely say that breakfast is Easton's favorite meal of the day. Fruit, yogurt, cereal, biscuits, toast, pancakes, waffles- he loves it all. Recently he has been on a bit of a pancake kick eating as many as five mini pancakes in a sitting. Usually I just throw a few frozen Eggo Buttermilk Mini Pancakes in the microwave and serve them to him plain but on weekends we have the time to get a little more creative with our pancakes and waffles. 


While in Target last week I grabbed some Eggo Buttermilk Mini Pancakes for Easton's breakfasts and  grabbed a box of Eggo Wafflers Brown Sugar Cinnamon Roll for snacks too. I was happy to notice that Eggo has a new formulation that is free from artificials. All Eggo products are now made with colors and flavors from natural sources which means that my childhood favorite is now an even better option for Easton. (Be sure to look for products with the green banner!) 


For a fun weekend breakfast I decided to dress up Easton's usually mini pancakes with a few things I already had on hand. You'll need:
  • Eggo Buttermilk Mini Pancakes
  • Blueberries
  • Strawberries 
  • Vanilla Yogurt
  • Juice

1.) Microwave the Eggo Buttermilk Mini Pancakes according to the directions on the package and stack them on a plate. 
2.) Thin out the yogurt with a little fruit juice to make a sauce.
3.) Drizzle yogurt sauce on the pancakes and top with diced strawberries and blueberries.
4.) Serve to your child (or yourself) and watch them clap with excitement. 


Easton was so excited for his special breakfast that he just kept saying "wow" over and over again. He usually reserves that exclamation for Christmas decorations and theme park shows so he was clearly pretty pumped. 



Inspired by my breakfast success, I decided to try and make myself an afternoon snack later that day. The Eggo Wafflers Brown Sugar Cinnamon Roll smelled delicious on their own but I'm not known for subtlety in the kitchen so I made a little topping for them. This topping looks like it would be complicated but it is actually really easy and only takes a few minutes. I used:
  • Diced up apple slices (these came from a bag of pre-sliced apples in the fridge) 
  • 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • cinnamon 

1.) In a small saucepan melt the butter and stir in the brown sugar. 
2.) Add in the apples and coat with the the sauce. 
3.) Sprinkle in a little bit of cinnamon to your preference. 
4.) Let the mixture simmer on low until the apples are soft.
5.) Top toasted Eggo Wafflers with the apple mixture. Optional: add sprinkles for fun


This was so good I actually thought I was at a carnival. The crispy Eggo Wafflers were perfect under the cinnamon apples and while they wouldn't have needed syrup the brown sugar sauce made the dish. Easton noticed what I was eating and so I was a good mom and shared with him but honestly I would consider this a snack adults will love as much as kids. 


This week Eggo products are on sale at Target so be sure to stock up. This offer runs through the last week in February with Eggo products for $1.99 each so check your local circular ad for details. 


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Tuesday, February 7, 2017

What Easton Wore: June & January At The Beach

Some photos from an evening at the beach in one of our favorite new June & January outfits. 


Sometimes I miss having seasons. Other times I realize how lucky we are that we can head down to the beach any day of the year, even in early February. 


Easton currently thinks he is 5 years old instead of 16 months old and is obsessed with climbing the stairs at the beach boardwalk even though he hasn't quite mastered the skill completely. If we even dare to go to one of the many parks near a beach access he will break off into a sprint and head for the boardwalk and proceed to have an epic meltdown if we don't let him go down to the sand. 


These pictures are even more special because they are at a beach that Justin and I have been going to ever since the summer of 2004 when we first started dating. It was the first beach we took Easton too after he was born too. I'm pretty sure he and Justin swing by there once a week to "check the waves" while at I'm work. 


If you follow me on social media or know us in real life, it's no secret that June & January is one of my current favorites when it comes to Easton's wardrobe. I am loving this combo of teal striped tank and poppy lounge shorts on him and can't wait to dress him in one million different versions of this outfit all summer. 


And, yes, I know he needs another hair cut but I just can't bring myself to cut those sweet little baby curls again yet. 



Easton's version of fierce.


Bubbles are life. 


Sassy "cheese" face.


Skinny baby arms in tank tops kill me. 



Those cheeks though.


New to June & January? Make your first purchase through this link and get 15% off your first purchase!
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Thursday, February 2, 2017

Easy Entertaining With Rubbermaid® BRILLIANCE™

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #OrganizeWithBrilliance #CollectiveBias


When it comes to entertaining my newest motto is "work smarter, not harder". I use to spend hours in the kitchen before a party to the point where guest would be showing up and I would still be in the kitchen in sweatpants prepping appetizers. Once Easton was born I realized that if I wanted to have people over the majority of the party prep would have to take place the night before the event after he had already gone to bed. I started making my dips and spreads ahead of time and storing them in the fridge. Veggies got washed and chopped more than 5 minutes before the party start time and desserts needed to be something that could easily be stored in the fridge.


This new strategy really helped cut down on pre-party stress but it wasn't without its flaws. Our fridge would end up stuffed full of various sizes of food storage containers that no matter how hard I tried would never seem to stay stacked on top of one another. Also, many of our containers were opaque and hard to see through and I could never figure out if I was about to warm up swiss cheese bread dip or cookie dough. Thankfully I discovered Rubbermaid® BRILLIANCE™ and was able to solve my entertaining preparation dilemmas.
Rubbermaid® BRILLIANCE™ is crystal clear with 360 degree clarity meaning that no matter what angle to put it in the fridge at you can always tell exactly what's inside. It is also designed to stack perfectly with all the various sizes easily fitting on top of each other. It's stain and odor resistant and the best part? It's 100% leak proof, guaranteed. Which means you can store any kind of soup or liquid in it without worrying about ending up with a mess in your fridge.


My personal favorite feature of the Rubbermaid® BRILLIANCE™ line is that the containers are nice enough to double as serving wear. For a recent get together I made a few of my favorite party foods ahead of time. I was able to store everything in the fridge and then simply take the containers out, place them on serving pieces and I was ready for guests. My current party favorites are:
  • Easy On The Go Veggie Tray
    • Prep and chop veggies ahead of time and store in Rubbermaid® BRILLIANCE™. 
    • On a large serving tray place your four containers and add a small bowl for dip in the middle.
    • Once the party is about to start, remove the lids, add your ranch dressing and set tray our for guests to enjoy. 
  • Fig & Goat Cheese Spread
    • Blend together 8oz of goat cheese and 4 tablespoons of fig preserves
    • Store in  Rubbermaid® BRILLIANCE™. 
    • When the party starts, set the container in the middle of a serving tray, add crackers and enjoy!



While I served these for friends at my house, they are both so portable if you are heading over to someone's house for the Big Game this weekend. You can easily put all your items in a large bag and show up ready to wow your friends with your on the go appetizer skills. 


And since it wouldn't be a party without dessert, I pre-made my favorite Grown Up Chocolate Chip cookie dough and stored it in the large Rubbermaid® BRILLIANCE™ container overnight. It was ready to scoop out and bake right before the party. This was perfect because it meant I was able to clean up the baking mess and corresponding dishes the night before so my kitchen stayed clean day of. Bonus- the house smelled amazing when guests arrived. 


Rubbermaid® BRILLIANCE™ is available nationwide at Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Amazon and other fine retailers. We loved it so much that we got a second 10 pc BRILLIANCE™ set for Justin to take to the fire station. We also gifted one to my sister who is about to have her second baby. She was thrilled to be able to use it for fridge organization as she gets ready for baby.

What are you favorite easy party foods? Any of them on your menu for the Big Game this weekend?
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